£50 investment in UK brick manufacturing

Ibstock, the UK’s largest brick manufacturer, has announced plans to construct a new factory in Leicestershire.

The plans will see a £50M investment from the company at a brownfield site north of the existing brickworks. The site has previously been used as a landfill and now is grazed by cattle.

By building on adjoining land for the new factory, Ibstock will utilise the established infrastructure, helping to minimise site traffic on local roads. With additional clay reserves on site, clay transportation will also be lowered.

In order to screen the site into the local surroundings, Ibstock will use landforms and woodland planting which will also make a positive contribution to the National Forest.

The construction of a new Brick factory will increase the brick manufacturing on the site from 90 million bricks per annum to a total of around 190 million bricks per annum. The proposed development will include additional production plant located in new buildings and the additional stockyard area.

Housing and Planning Minister Alok Sharma has welcomed the plans by Ibstock. Speaking at BMF Members Day in Leicestershire Mr Sharma emphasised the vital role builders’ merchants play in getting more homes built in this country.

At the event, which is attended by leading representatives from the UK’s builders’ merchants industry, the Housing and Planning Minister also welcomed the success of the Builders Merchants’ Federation as a major representative of the sector for 109 years and congratulated the resilient performance of builders’ merchants over 2017, supporting local growth, development and housebuilding across the country.

The Minister also highlighted the need for the Government and sector to work together to improve fairness across the housing market, bridge the skills gap and encourage the development of well-designed and good quality homes.

He said: “Delivering more homes is a key priority for this Government. Builders’ merchants have an absolutely vital role to play in this, supplying the essential materials we need to get our country building faster.

“Ibstock’s major investment at their Leicestershire site is fantastic news for the building materials industry, demonstrating continuing confidence in this sector and growing consumer demand.

“I congratulate the resilient performance of UK builders’ merchants over this year, and I look forward to working with the sector to put into action the far-reaching reforms of the Housing White Paper. By working together, we will ensure we have the right building blocks in place to meet local housing needs and promote growth across all areas of the country.”

Wayne Sheppard, Chief Executive Officer of Ibstock, said of the investment: “We’re incredibly proud to be making such a significant investment in our Leicestershire site. Brick is the number one construction material of choice, and we are increasing our production capacity in order to meet growing demand from our customers that is being driven by growth in housebuilding.

“We welcome the Housing Minister’s positive comments about Ibstock’s investment, and we are pleased to see the Government recognise the important role that the building materials supply chain plays in providing essential materials to support housing growth and growing the economy across the country”.

 

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