The latest ONS figures
for brick production in the UK reveal a remarkable story of manufacturing
investment. August 2018 saw 21% more bricks being produced in the UK
compared with August 2017.
Compare the figure to
August 2016 (a 39% rise) and a clear picture emerges of consistent growth in
output resulting from increased capacity across the sector.
This is not just about
the summer months, of course: more important for long-term planning are the
annual figures. For the rolling 12-month period ending August 2018 there
is a 9.4% increase over the previous 12-month period.
To put this in
context, NHBC housebuilding figures show that the number of plots under
construction in August 2018 is 2% up on the previous year, with the rolling
3-month figure on housing starts to August 2018 being up 6.7%.
“There has been
considerable comment on brick supply issues over the last two years,” observed
the Brick Development Association’s Tom Farmer. “The industry has proved
remarkably responsive to increased demand, with all the major players investing
to increase production capacity. The supply chain is also importing stock
from the EU in order to bolster supply in the short term.
“It is heartening to
see UK manufacturing making long-term investments in plant, people and
technology. Brave decisions were made when the housebuilding sector
started to show signs of recovery and the increasing production numbers show
the results of those decisions.”
In addition to
increasing production volume, the BDA also points to the Mace Business School
estimate of lead times for brickwork which, at 11 weeks, is well below the
28-60 week lead times quoted for other cladding materials.
