Sales of building materials nationally rose by just over 0.6% for the three months from December 2011 to February 2012, compared to the same period in 2010/11, according to the latest figures from the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF).
However, sales were down by 3.7% on the previous three-month period (September to November 2011).
The BMF says that the figures reflect the disappointing growth in construction output in February this year recently reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS said that construction had grown by just 6.1% in February after two successive months of falling output in December 2011 and January 2012.
Sales between February 2011 and February 2012 fell by 3.6% compared to the same period a year earlier, according to the BMF's 12-mpnth comparator.
However, at a national level different regions have reported varying trends for the three months from December 2011 to February 2012. Builders' merchants in Yorkshire saw sales rise by 12.1%, while in Greater London sales were up by 11%. In East Anglia sales increased by 8.8% and sales were up by 6.1% in the South West and Wales. The Northern region saw a modest 1.9% increase. Scotland saw the biggest fall in sales at -13.5%, followed by the East Midlands (-9.1%), the South East (-5.5%), the West Midlands (-4.2%) and the North West (-0.6%).
In terms of product sectors, in the three-month comparisons, year-on-year, sales of lightside products such as plumbing, heating and ironmongery were down 8.2%, but sales of heavyside items such as bricks, blocks, aggregates and cements, were up by 5.2%.
BMF secretary, Peter Matthews, said: 'It is clear that construction output remains fragile, which leads to pretty volatile trading conditions around the country. It remains to be seen if the recent changes in planning law will open up more housing development and whether government initiatives such as the Green Deal will bring about an increase in energy efficient RMI work to give a much needed boost to our sector over the coming year.'
