Member Article

Construction sector needs a tonne of bricks to recover, says Yorkshire firm

The York Handmade Brick Company is “ready” to tackle the shortage of bricks, which is threatening the recovery of the construction sector in the UK.

According to a new survey, carried out by The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), a shortage of bricks and bricklayershas been cited as the main cause of a surprise drop in output in the construction sector.

Fears that builders cannot meet the rising demand for houses were fanned by the RICS survey, which revealed that almost 40 per cent of the surveyors it polledbelieved brick shortages were a brake on activity.Echoing reports from house-builders, they said bricks and concrete blocks in particular were in short supply.

David Armitage, the chairman of York Handmade Brick, based at Alne, near Easingwold, said: “It is a sad fact of life that the recession, which was particularly brutal in the construction sector, has seen the decline and closure of many brickworks across the UK.

“Here at York Handmade we have fought really hard – and successfully - to keep going and we are now well-equipped to take advantage of the upturn in the construction sector, especially in the self-build market.

“We have invested in the future, by spending £65,000 on refurbishing our two kilns, which will increase production and efficiency.

“As confidence returns to the property market, we are beginning to reap the benefits of this investment and of our determination to battle through the difficult times.

“There is increased demand for our award-winning bricks, which are currently being used across the UK.

“For example, we are supplying one of our established clients, Heritage Homes, with bricks for a prestigious new housing development in Newton Abbott, Devon.

“This underlines our credentials as a national supplier and we have recently provided bespoke handmade bricks for a number of outstanding new houses in Surrey, Sussex and the Home Counties.

“We are very aware of the fact that builders are worried about the long waits for bricks needed to finish work created by the renewed surge in demand for houses, but we can confidently say we have the capacity and the skill to meet every order placed with us on time and within budget,” said Mr Armitage.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .