British brick on the up

The latest Monthly Statistics of Building Materials and Components has been released and shows the UK brick industry is meeting the ever-growing demands of the UK housing market with brick despatches up 3.3% on a rolling 12-month comparison to the preceding period.

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee recently stressed the need for greater supply chain capacity and an increased focus on ensuring the workforce has the required skillset for developing technologies.

The UK brick industry recognises these needs and is matching the demand with brick production up by 6.2% on a rolling 12-month comparison to the preceding period, with the industry benefiting from continuing investment by UK brick manufacturers – members of the Brick Development Association (BDA) – in new plants and machinery.

"The target of 300,000 new homes by the Mid 2020s is high on the agenda for UK brick manufacturers," said Tom Farmer, Marketing Manager, BDA.

"Our members deliver 80% of the clay brick used in the UK’s built environment and, we are delighted to report an increase in both production volume and the number of despatches. At the 2019 Housing conference, Housing secretary, James Brokenshire, reiterated the need to not only build more, but build more beautifully.

"The brick industry is intrinsic to delivering this, providing a material that is not only robust but facilitates creativity, comfort and human scale. All of which mean it can be used to create beautiful homes and buildings that last a very long time."