Show a 9% increase nationally on the same period in 2012. However, according to the MPA, the underlying annual trend for the year to June is still showing a decline of 6% compared with the previous year. The MPA considers that "construction activity may be close to the bottom of the decline which started in mid 2011" and says that although “private housebuilding has improved, [ ] this sector represents only 14% of construction and it is sobering to see the latest GDP figures showing that construction output in the first half year was 4% lower than the same period of 2012". So, with housebuilding representing only a small part of the construction market, when the Express & Echo report "Big leap in new homes starts in Devon and Cornwall" it does not therefore follow that there will be a comparable 'leap' in overall aggregates supply or production.
