One of the UK ’s leading brick manufacturers, based in Cheadle, has welcomed the intervention of its local MP in championing the interests of the ceramic and brick industries among policy makers in Westminister.
Wienerberger, the 2nd largest brick manufacturer in the country, was referred to by the MP for Cheadle, Mary Robinson, during a recent Westminster Hall debate tabled to look at the future of the ceramic and brick industries.
Speaking to an audience of MPs, Mrs Robinson addressed some of the main concerns for the industry, and highlighted the need to revisit key strategies in the UK and Europe to ensure manufacturing can reach its full potential.
Mrs Robinson used the British Ceramic Confederation’s (BCC) EARTH Campaign as a basis to highlight areas for improvement. She said:
“I welcome the efforts of the British Ceramic Confederation, which aims to raise the profile of the industry’s important contribution to the UK economy. The BCC is calling for action to lighten the burden of UK and European energy, climate and environmental policies, which harm the sector’s ability to remain competitive on the international stage.
“My constituency is home to the national headquarters of Wienerberger, the UK ’s third largest brick manufacturer, which is responsible for producing essential building products for the construction sector. It is the only multinational producer of clay block for walls, clay and concrete roof tiles, ceramic pipe systems, and concrete and clay pavers.”
Mrs Robinson praised the company on its drive for developing innovative, environmentally-friendly and sustainable building materials. This includes Porotherm, Wienerberger’s clay block walling system which has been used to build an apartment block complex in South Harrow , and has reduced the construction time by 20% from 15 to 12 months. Mrs Robinson added:
“Innovation and speed are important in meeting the Government’s house building targets. Innovation can drive down construction time. That new method of brick production has reduced overall construction time and speeded up access to home ownership.”
Mrs Robinson recently visited Wienerberger’s head quarters at Cheadle Royal Business Park to find out what she can do to support the business. She said:
“I’m keen to discover what obstacles potentially stand in the way of the Government meeting its house building targets, and to find ways in which we can enable and empower all those involved in the sector.
“The UK ceramic industry is steeped in heritage. Now more than ever it is vital to Britain ’s growth. As we seek to build more homes, we should remember that good homes are built on strong foundations, and we should do all we can to ensure that those foundations are built on a strong brick and ceramic manufacturing industry.
“The North has the potential to be a globally competitive region, and is recognised for its outstanding and distinctive capabilities. The Northern Powerhouse offers the potential to transform the north of England ’s economy, adding £97bn and 850,000 jobs by 2050. And Wienerberger is one of the world leaders contributing to this future prosperity, not just of the North but to the entire country.”
In response, Harald Schwarzmayr, Managing Director of Wienerberger, said:
“We welcome building standards that promote energy efficiency and sustainability in the built environment, as this gives companies like Wienerberger the opportunity to rise to the challenge and to bring innovative products such as Porotherm and the e4 brick house to the market.
“I would like to see more investment in UK housing, together with a reduction in energy-related taxes and fees which would create a more level playing field in the international marketplace. I’m very pleased that our local MP Mary Robinson is supporting the requests of our industry in Parliament.”
The sector currently employs around 20,000 people across the UK , generates £2 billion in sales and exports its products all over the world.