Construction boom set for North West

Construction in the North West is booming in the face of Brexit with 25,000 new jobs expected over the next five years, according to a major forecast by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

The annual Construction Skills Network (CSN) five-year forecast reveals that massive infrastructure projects - such as the new IKEA site at Cuerden.

Including the doubling of the Port of Liverpool and expansion of Media City, the industry will grow by 2.5 per cent each year from 2017-2021. This is significantly above the UK average of 1.7 per cent growth.

CITB says there will be high demand for traditional trades with an extra 3,450 carpenters, 3,250 electricians, and 1,900 bricklayers needed. There is also demand in white collar jobs with 550 architects, 1,000 process managers and 250 senior managers required.

Infrastructure is bolstering the North West’s construction industry as its best performing sector. The CSN forecasts an annual average increase of 7.9 per cent in infrastructure projects in the region over the five year period. These include the enabling works for Moorside nuclear power station in Cumbria, the ports development at Liverpool and Wirral Waters, a six-lane toll bridge across the River Mersey and the HS2 Rail development.

The new commercial development at Cuerden will encourage new businesses to the area and facilitate significant investment infrastructure including highways, pedestrian and cycle routes and improvements to public transport in the area.

The Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal is set to receive £434m of public sector funding which will expand transport infrastructure in Preston and South Ribble and allow the development of more than 17,000 new homes over the next ten years. Gillian Brewin, partnerships manager in the North West at CITB, says: “Construction in the North West is well and truly booming and the outlook for the next five years looks prosperous. With so many new developments planned or underway, there will be thousands of new work opportunities opening up."