UK construction grows but housebuilding decline threatens government targets

Houses under construction and completion at Whitstable Heights, a new housing development in Whitstable, UK. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

Activity in Britain’s construction industry picked up in November but housebuilding weakened, throwing the government’s new homes targets into further doubt.

The S&P Global/CIPS UK Purchasing Managers’ Index for the construction industry came in at 55.2 last month, up from October’s 54.3.