New public housing output and private housing repairs and maintenance work surged in January as supply chain pressures eased, official figures published today show.

The Office for National Statistics figures show overall construction output rose 1.4% month-on-month in January to £14.7bn hitting its highest level since September 2019. Private housing repairs and maintenance increased 5% to £2.1bn. New public housing work increased 11.5% to £482m, while new private housing work rose 0.9% totalling £3.2bn. However public housing repairs and maintenance work fell 0.6% month-on-month.

Total construction output also rose 3.0% in the three months to January 2022; this is the strongest growth in the three-monthly series since June 2021 (3.4%), with increases seen in both new work and repair and maintenance (4.0% and 1.4%, respectively). ONS said this due in part to the easing of supply chain problems.