The activity hike in the three months to August compared with a 1.5% rise across the whole of Great Britain, according to latest Government statistics.

Construction output topped £4.6bn over the three months, with the region’s new housing alone up by nearly £400m compared to the same quarter in 2017.

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP, said: “It’s wonderful to see how the Northern Powerhouse is driving investment in the North West and helping grow the construction industry to the tune of over £600m.

“Anyone visiting the North West can see the huge number of construction projects underway and these figures show just how valuable they are.

“This construction boom is helping build new homes, new infrastructure and a stronger economy in the region.”

Across the country as a whole construction output continued to recover following a relatively weak start to the year, increasing by 2.9% in the three months to August compared with the preceding three months.

This growth was driven by both repair and maintenance and all new work which increased by 2.8% and 2.9% respectively.