18 May Building Materials Shortages Delay UK Construction Work
A continuing shortage of building materials in the UK, such as timber, steel, paints, and cement, is adding pressure to constriction projects.
BBC News reports that the Construction Leadership Council has said the restricted access to some electrical components were largely due to ‘unprecedented levels of demand’, and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said that many building firms have had to delay projects, while some small companies may be forced to close down.
Prices for supplies have rocketed and people have been advised to put off home improvement projects until later in the year to try to ease the demand for the already scarce materials. The Office for National Statistics has estimated a rise of 7-8 per cent in material prices, with prices for timber, expected to more than double during the year.
There are several factors involved in the supply issues of materials, in addition to high levels of demand. Factories closures during the pandemic caused delays to supply chains, but the weather has also impacted supplies.
The milder winter has affected timber production in Scandinavia, while the bitterly cold winter in Texas has affected the supplies of chemicals, plastics, and polymers. There have also been issues with Brexit, as 80 per cent of softwood imports are from the EU. Also, a shortage of empty shipping containers has increased shipping costs.
David Hopkins, chief executive of the Timber Trade Federation, said “customers may not be able to purchase timber as readily off the shelves as they have been used to”.
He added that traditionally sawmills in Europe ‘enter a period of shut-down for repair, maintenance and holidays in June and July, and this will keep supply tight’.
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