A rise in the number of homes being built saw activity within Northern Ireland’s construction industry jump in the last quarter, a leading report reveals.

The RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Construction Market Survey for quarter one 2007 shows that total workloads within the local industry expanded at their fastest pace since quarter four 2005. The study also says that the strong increase in overall workloads within Northern Ireland was driven by sharp growth in the private housing and private industrial sectors.

During the quarter, 17 per cent more chartered surveyors contributing to the survey reported a rise in workloads than a fall. Relating specifically to activity within the private housing sector of the construction industry, 29 per cent more reported growth than reported a fall and in the private industrial sector, 50 per cent more chartered surveyors reported a rise in activity than reported a fall.

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RICS Northern Ireland construction spokesman, John Davidson, said that major apartment schemes like the Bakery on Belfast’s Ormeau Road and at phase one of Titanic Quarter, as well as smaller schemes on the North Coast and across Northern Ireland, have led to the significant increase in private housing work.

“Although planning difficulties are still hampering the supply of an adequate stock of housing, we have seen a very significant amount of residential property development projects go on site recently, particularly apartments schemes, which has helped fuel the growth in workloads that we have seen within Northern Ireland’s construction industry,” he said.

The report is upbeat with regard to workloads and employment for the next 12 months. 30 per cent more chartered surveyors said that they expected workloads to be higher this time next year and 20 per cent said that they expected employment levels to be higher.

Mr Davidson says that industry confidence is being driven by the strength of the wider economy, but that the outlook for profits was down, due to energy and raw material cost pressures.

He says that skills shortages are also an ongoing concern: “In particular, we are seeing a significant shortage of quantity surveyors, and RICS has been working in conjunction with government, learning institutions and individual firms to try to address the issue. It is also important to look at the gender balance in the industry and to consider how more women can be recruited into the profession, in addition to looking overseas to help plug the gaps.

“RICS has been in discussion with the Home Office (Work Permits UK) to add quantity surveying to the list of UK professions with skills shortages, which would mean that the profession would be designated a priority with regard to work permit visas,” Mr Davidson added.

(CL)