Spike In Activity Predicted For Civil Engineering Due To Flood Relief Spending

Civil engineering consultants could see a huge increase in work over the coming months as more money is directed towards flood relief in the UK.

This is according to senior economist at Markit Tim Moore who observed that in spite of the fact that the sector remained the weakest performing area in the construction industry in December, activity is now poised to see a “near-term spike at the turn of 2016”, the Daily Telegraph reports.

He went on to note that right after the winter floods that were seen back in 2013, civil engineering activity in the UK grew at record pace.

The most recent Markit purchasing managers’ index went on to show that over half of the firms asked believed that their business activity would increase over the course of 2016, with just seven per cent saying they expect to see declines.

The more optimistic survey respondents said bigger budgets, stronger economic growth and an influx of new projects would contribute to the hike in activity, while economists said the recent floods would offer new opportunities for repair and replacement work.

According to Elizabeth Truss, environment secretary, approximately 16,000 houses across England were flooded in December, which was the wettest to be seen in 100 years.

In a statement to the Commons, Ms Truss said that because of the amount of rainfall seen, rivers in Yorkshire had risen up to a metre higher than previous records. Around 9,000 properties were flooded in Lancashire and Yorkshire, she went on to say.