Construction group Connaught said this week that it had bulging order books for the fit-out and social housing divisions.
The firm, which is listed on the alternative investment market, said its interiors arm Bluu had an order book of £27m. This is more than three times larger than at this time last year.

Mark Tincknell, chief executive of Connaught, described conditions in the fit-out sector as buoyant. He said the firm had won work in the past two to three months with clients such as the Metropolitan Police, Scottish Widows, London Underground and Transco. "We can't cope with the inquiry level," he said.

Connaught's assessment of the market follows a statement by Morgan Sindall that work had picked up at its fit-out subsidiaries, Overbury and Morgan Lovell.

Tincknell added that Connaught had £350m of orders in the social housing market. He said: "Our business in the sector continues to boom."

Tincknell added that Connaught expected an upsurge in partnering work in London and the South-east. He said: "The region has been slower picking up on partnering work than the rest of the country, but it's now starting to move."

Postscript

Matthew Giles, managing director of Bluu subsidiary Bluu City, left the firm last month. His role has been taken on by Bluu managing director Gavin Gleave.