A growth slowdown in the infrastructure sector is a concern for civils contractors, the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) has said.

The CECA's Workload Trends Survey for Q3 of 2015 found that declines in workloads were reported in local roads (-24%), motorways and trunk roads (-12%), water and sewerage (-22%) and railways (-18%) on balance.

Overall, only 7% of firms on balance reported workloads had increased, the lowest percentage since 2013 Q2.

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Rapid growth since 2013 has slowed slightly in early 2015, however the CECA said this is the 'first real warning sign' of a potential slump in the sector.

CECA Chief Executive, Alasdair Reisner, said: "These results raise concerns for the Government's growth agenda.

"We have seen this week that a sluggish construction sector is acting as a drag on Britain's GDP. This is despite the Government's stated aim of investing in infrastructure to drive growth in the economy.

"By now we would expect to see strong growth, particularly in relation to planned investment in road and rail to meet future capacity demand.

"The fact that workloads are now falling in both these bellwether sectors show that the industry is not yet firing on all cylinders. CECA will be monitoring this situation closely, and hopes for stronger growth in the months to come as planned Government investment bears fruit."

(LM/CD)