Lack of building impedes recovery

A DECADE ago, many would have gauged the health of the country’s finances by the number of cranes that loomed over city centres.

Their towering presence meant offices were being built to cater to the expanding workforce, apartment blocks were being developed to assuage the demand for city centre living, and shopping centres were springing up to help empty our bulging wallets.

However, as we all know, the collapse of the economy went hand-in-hand with the collapse of the construction sector.