The latest Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 56 in May – up sharply from April’s figure of 53.1.

Soaring residential workloads and sustained growth in civil engineering where the main drivers.

And their was more good news as material price inflation bottomed-out to a seven month low.

Tim Moore, Senior Economist at IHS Markit and author of the Markit/CIPS Construction PMI, said: “May’s survey data reveals that the UK construction sector has started to recover strongly from its slow start to 2017.

“House building was the key growth driver, with work on residential projects rising at the fastest pace since December 2015.

“A sustained rebound in residential building provides an encouraging sign that the recent soft patch for property values has not deterred new housing supply.

“Instead, strong labour market conditions, resilient demand and ultra-low mortgage rates appear to have helped boost work on residential development projects in May.

“Civil engineering continued to flourish, helped by a strong pipeline of infrastructure projects.

“However, commercial building was trapped in the slow lane amid reports highlighting that heightened economic uncertainty is holding back client spending.

“The forward-looking elements of the latest survey are reassuring for the construction sector, notably the acceleration in new business growth to its strongest so far this year.

“On the price front, while construction costs have ratcheted up over the past six to nine months, the wave of inflation from imported materials now appears to have passed its peak.”