Three in four civils firms in materials supply jam

Aaron Morby 3 years ago
Share

Around three in four civil engineering contractors are now experiencing material supply problems on projects.

The extent of the developing crisis in the availability of products and materials is revealed in the latest state of trade survey by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association.

In the second quarter poll, 73% of firms are experiencing supply problems, more than double the number (29%) reporting issues in the first three months of the year.

Around half are struggling to find skilled operatives for the heated-up infrastructure sector, while nearly one in four are now complaining about the availability of plant, up from 8% in the first quarter.

Costs and tender price balances have also hit an all-time high, threatening to undermine the sector’s ability to deliver the projects and jobs necessary to drive the UK’s continuing economic recovery.

CECA chief executive Alasdair Reisner said: “It will come as no surprise to anyone trading in the infrastructure sector at the moment that members are experiencing rising costs and tender prices.

“While it is to be welcomed that order books in the industry are showing sustained growth, the challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit continue to place businesses under pressure.

“We call on Government to work with industry to identify practical steps that can be taken to alleviate these concerns, and ensure that the infrastructure sector is able to deliver the planned pipeline of investment as efficiently as possible, to the ultimate benefit of businesses and communities in all parts of the UK.”

Latest news

Network Rail fined £3.75m after double track worker death

Michael Lewis and Gareth Delbridge were killed while working on rail line in Wales
19 hours ago

Local contractor Castle lands £60m South Shields campus

Work to start this summer on new home for South Tyneside College and South Shields Marine School
1 day ago

GRAHAM wins £100m deal after safety regulator approval

Dyecoats scheme in Leeds becomes one of first to receive Building Safety Act Gateway 2 green light
2 days ago

London Super Sewer now fully connected

10-year construction programme draws to a close
1 day ago

McLaren signs off £125m London Bank over-station job

Developer Helical secures funding deal for 8-storey office job
1 day ago

Work on Labour’s new towns to start by 2029

More than 100 sites put forward for a dozen new town locations
2 days ago

Unite hails 12 years without a site accident at Battersea

More than 4,000 union members have worked on the redevelopment without a single serious accident
1 day ago

Housing orders surge offers hope after 5.2% new work fall last year

Housing orders surged 24% in final quarter of 2024 as developers release schemes
2 days ago

McLaren Property gets new Construction Director

Jon Mangham joins from Equans
2 days ago

BAM Construction suffers £40m loss after Co-op Live setback

Civils business profit surges 24% to £80m
2 days ago

Over 150 jobs axed as J S Wright goes under

Insolvency specialist FRP Advisory goes in at Birmingham M&E specialist
2 days ago

Extra cash found to speed-up safety regulator

Government to spend extra £2m to clear backlog of high rise approvals
2 days ago

Galliford Try lands £63m RAF accommodation deal

Work to start within months at RAF Digby in Lincolnshire
2 days ago

Balfour Beatty wins Trent arched bridge job

Briton Fabricators will build the £13m bridge from prefabricated sections
2 days ago

Goldbeck to build new £50m Cardiff County Hall

German-owned contractor vowing to be a "disrupter in the UK market"
3 days ago

Laing O’Rourke chairman to step down

Ray O'Rourke to take over chair from Sir John Parker
3 days ago

Farrans lands Leeds Bradford Airport phase 2 upgrade

Contractor takes follow-on refurb job after terminal extension
3 days ago

ISG built Bristol housing block to be torn down

Contractor's collapse sinks Bristol flats remediation claim
3 days ago

RSK revenue nears £2bn as losses soar to £132m

Refinancing last summer puts group on course for more growth this year
3 days ago

Bridge design wind error adds £20m to construction costs

Completion of £148m Grantham Southern Relief Road delayed by a year
3 days ago

Rayner pledges extra £350m for social house building

More than 3,000 homes could be built with cash injection
3 days ago

City’s biggest retrofit tower scheme approved

Triple-fronted 70 Gracechurch Street building will rise to 33 storeys
4 days ago

Defibrillator saves worker’s life on Wates site

Machine operator saved after "dying" for 16 minutes on prison job
4 days ago

Funding deal for £125m Camden Roundhouse scheme

Developer Regal set to start 264-bed student scheme
4 days ago

Balfour leadership rejig to focus on three key growth sectors

Divisional CEO trio take lead roles for energy, defence and transport expansion
5 days ago

ABP bidders day for £150m Humber ports pipeline

Nine projects in the pipeline to support automotive and energy transition schemes
4 days ago

Hinkley Point C to create 3,000 jobs as work ramps up

Fitout surge to swell workforce to 15,000 in next 18 months
4 days ago

Hercules sells suction excavator division for £2.4m

Loss making arm sold by labour hire specialist
4 days ago

Foundations complete at HS2 Old Oak Common station

Station base completed using 76,000 cubic metres of concrete and 17,000 tonnes of reinforced steel
4 days ago

Bids invited for £175m consultancy framework

Fusion21 inviting consultants to join latest four-year deal
4 days ago

Contractor services