Civils contractors have today called for urgent action to be taken to address a plunge in infrastructure workloads in Scotland.

Results from the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) quarterly workload trends survey for 2018 Q2 found that in Great Britain as a whole, workloads had improved and prospects remain positive.

However in Scotland, workloads declined for a third consecutive quarter, according to one third of firms, on balance - tipping the sector into recession.

In Scotland, 48% of firms, on balance, reported that orders had decreased in Q2, the lowest in nearly eight years. 20% of Scottish firms, on balance, expected workloads to fall over the next year and 26%, on balance anticipated a decline in orders.

Chief executive of CECA Scotland, Grahame Barn, said: “While these results are not unexpected, they make grim reading for Scottish contractors, and the industry as a whole.

“Urgent action must now be taken by governments in both Holyrood and Westminster to arrest this alarming slide in activity in the Scottish civils market.

“The infrastructure sector creates jobs and acts as a driver of growth in the economy, and it is positive that it is doing just that in Great Britain as a whole.

“More must be done to ensure the sector in Scotland isn’t damaged by continuing falls in activity.

“Scotland’s businesses and communities rely on the infrastructure our members deliver, and must not be short-changed on the economic growth a thriving industry can bring.”