New Construction now at 1999 levels

News from the Costablanca-news says that the college of quantity surveyors & architects has said that the predicted slowdown in construction has finally arrived and that the number of new houses built in 2005 dropped by 11 per cent.

A spokesman said that in 2004 a total of 52,737 new properties were inspected; this fell to 46,687 last year. He also said that the number of projects involving large urbanisations dropped by nine per cent during the same period. These figures, say the college, now puts construction at the same level it was at in 1999.

In a report issued this week, the college also evaluates the type of homes being built. It says that constructors are building smaller properties in order to get more into the space available.

Although the report highlights a slowdown in construction, it also points out that in coastal towns such as Benidorm, Alicante, Elche, Pilar de la Horadada, Santa Pola, Orihuela and Villajoyosa building is still going on at a frenetic pace.