Following last week’s much healthier PMI index, I was delighted to see the report in Scottish Construction Now which told us that, “The UK construction sector continued its tentative post-lockdown recovery with an 8.2% rise in output during May 2020 after the record decline of 40.2% in April.”

Since then, I have been doing some (unscientific) digging into the trade journals’ headlines, looking back over the last few weeks to see whether sentiment is more, or less, favourable than a few months ago.  With the proviso that this is, as I said, unscientific, it does appear that there are more good news stories being reported at present.  Whether this continues over the next few months will depend on the progress of the virus…  

For example, Project Scotland’s current news pages over the last few weeks have included the following headlines:

• “Robertson unveils new safe operating procedures”
• “Three Glasgow projects receive combined funding of £2.75m”
• “Trad Group reveals plan to create six ‘super depots’”
• “Construction equipment giant opens Inverness depot”
• “AS lockdown starts to ease and life begins to approach the 'new normal', Allanwater Homes has launched a new development”
• “PfH Scotland seeks contractors for £124m DPS initiative”
• “North Ayrshire set for £18m flood protection scheme”
• ”Network Rail seeks contractor for ‘challenging and exciting’ £35m project

Over at Scottish Construction Now, we have:

• “Bindwells ‘oven-ready’ after detailed planning approved for 146 homes”
• “Pre-start activities to commence on transport projects”
• “Stewart Milne Access Scholarship hailed a success”
• “Scottish government support for SME housebuilders”
• “CSIC to explore benefits of exoskeletons in UK construction and manufacturing”
• “Lockdown sees increase of newly-qualified surveying professionals”* 
• “Living by Robertson sells out first development during COVID-19 emergency measures”
• “Kier resumes work at Burrell Collection development” 
• “Hat-trick of accreditations for eGroup”
• “Construction output rebounds with 8.2% increase”

I fully expect much more of the same over the next few weeks and months, albeit tempered with some less good news about firms going under and setbacks in the government’s strategy to combat the spread of Covid-19. Let’s not pretend. It’s going to be tough. But the excitement is still building.

Chris Peace, MD, Peace Recruitment

*if that’s you, give us a call and we’ll help you find your first job!