Planned construction projects in the area are already facing delays due to the number of contractors already committed to work, according to Doug Hughes, Managing Director and Principal Architect at Hughes Architects.

To add to the pressures, he claims that not enough young people are being trained to take up roles such as bricklaying, carpentry, and plumbing.

Mr Hughes’ warning comes just months after he raised concerns about older and listed buildings in the area under threat due to the lack of skilled craftspeople for conservation projects.

“We’re witnessing the lack of relevant courses available in the region to train people into skilled trades ranging from bricklaying, carpentry and plumbing, through to roofing and more,” said Mr Hughes who has offices in Newtown, Welshpool, and Aberystwyth.

“In the past, there was a wide range of building and trade courses available for school leavers and others to join. Today, they’re quite limited or students are having to travel outside the area to find opportunities. This is now starting to hamper building work in the area.”

He added: “While the construction industry has been impacted by the rise in material costs which has resulted in a reduction in some housing projects, overall the industry is strong and particularly resilient since the pandemic. But there’s an absence of skilled tradespeople in the number needed say compared to 10 years ago.”

Mr Hughes said the issue was affecting everything from small domestic residential projects to large-scale commercial builds.