It will be news to few that the construction industry is
experiencing a serious shortage of key materials. The Construction
Leadership Council first warned of shortages (in timber, steel,
pitched roofing, plastics, paints/coatings, some electronic
components and cement - among other materials) early this year, and
has reiterated its concerns since. Those concerns are so severe
that rationing has been proposed as a potential solution -
although, to date, this approach has not been adopted on a wide
scale in the UK.
The causes of the shortages, too, are well known: exceptionally
high demand globally, supply issues linked to Brexit and
difficulties arising from Coronavirus have all had an effect. A
global shortage of shipping containers is another factor.
