BAM construction and property recovered from a £12 million loss in the first half of last year to record an £18.3m profit. The rebound was also supported by a claim settlement.

The UK order book boasts several larger contracts including the Co-op Live arena in Manchester.

Ruud Joosten, CEO of Royal BAM Group, hailed the public stimulus programmes in the UK for the solid order book and healthy pipeline of opportunities.

He added: “In the United Kingdom, the government has committed to significantly increase public investment over the next four years, resulting in a positive outlook for health, justice and education. The private market is a mixed picture, with lower demand in retail and some hesitation in offices, partly offset by logistics and pharmaceuticals.”

BAM’s civil engineering revenue grew by 20% compared to the first half of 2020. Growth was mainly driven by the 40% revenue increase in the UK.

Overall, Royal BAM Group reported EBITDA of €157m (£134m) for the first half of this year, compared to a loss for the same period in 2020.