UK construction sector growth slowed sharply to its weakest pace for 22 months in April, a survey has shown, raising further questions over the momentum of the country's economic recovery.

The survey, published by the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, shows that growth of activity in the housebuilding sub-sector also decelerated to its slowest rate in 22 months. Nevertheless, the rate of growth of housebuilding activity remained significant.

Growth of commercial property construction work slowed last month to its weakest rate since August 2013. And civil engineering activity fell in April for the first time in four months.

CIPS's headline business activity index for the UK construction sector fell from 57.8 in March to 54.2 in April on a seasonally-adjusted basis. While the index remained comfortably above the level of 50 deemed to separate expansion from contraction, the fall in the index signalled a sharp slowdown in the sector's growth.

A survey published last week by CIPS showed that UK manufacturing growth slowed to its weakest pace in seven months in April.

Figures last week from the Office for National Statistics showed that the UK economy grew by only 0.3 per cent in the first quarter - only half of its already below-trend rate in the final three months of last year.

Chris Williamson, chief economist at survey compiler Markit, said: "Together with a steep slowdown in manufacturing and disappointing GDP (gross domestic product) data, the construction survey adds to evidence that the UK economy has hit a soft patch."