Construction Alliance North East (CAN) is partnering with the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) and the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) to address the worsening materials shortages plaguing the construction sector.
With material supplies such as timber, steel, cement, and roof tiles diminishing, and expected to continue into next year, chief executive of the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) John Newcomb has led a meeting with CAN, NEPO, CECA and the heads of procurement of the 12 local authorities in the northeast to discuss price inflation and shortages.
John outlined that while material shortages have troubled the sector, driver shortages and shipping costs, which have risen 525% in the last year, are two key areas that need to be understood on a wider level to alleviate the issues.
Ken Parkin, chair of CAN, said: “I don’t think there is a business in our region that has not been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure of sites during the various periods of lockdown, staff issues and now ongoing materials shortages in our industry, means many firms are still battling the financial impact of the pandemic.
“The industry has never been in this situation before, so It is important that CAN understands national issues which affect us here in the northeast, so we can learn from this in future and explain it to our regional membership.”
>> Read more about the ongoing materials shortages here.
