Worries grow sector won't be able to get back up and running quickly enough

The Construction Leadership Council is looking at how firms can get back furloughed workers to help them restart sites.

In its daily update, Build UK revealed the industry's government-backed leadership body was trying to plot a course for the industry to return to its pre-coronavirus growth.

Construction site

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Build UK said: "The CLC is also looking at a recovery plan for the industry and how to release workers from furlough in a phased manner."

Most of the big contractors and housebuilders have furloughed hundreds of staff each and, given the high number of construction workers currently in the government's job retention scheme, there are concerns about how the industry will be able to return to full capacity at a fast pace.

The CLC's decision to come up with a plan for the industry follows calls for firms to start planning for recovery.

The former head of the civil service Lord Kerslake has said the industry must start preparing how it will bounce back from the covid-19 pandemic.

Kerslake, who was recently named chair of framework provider Pagabo, recently told Building: “Into the recovery phase, the government will want to see the economy revive as quickly as it possibly can and I do think that getting projects, that are probably paused at the moment, under way, and getting them under way quickly, is going to be critical to the recovery.

“A lot of people are going to be giving thought to how we best achieve that.”

Kerslake said he did not see any reason why contractors would not be able to rebuild capacity and get sites up and running again once it was safe to do so.