Civil engineering sector set for growth in the Midlands –but key issues remain

THE CIVIL ENGINEERING sector in the Midlands is set to grow in the coming year – but labour shortages, rising costs and a drop in road projects are key issues for firms in the region.

Midlands firms have contributed to the Civil Engineering Contractors Association’s (CECA) latest workload trends survey and it reveals how the sector is expected to fare in the coming 12 months.

More than half the firms surveyed (53 per cent) said that orders had risen with 28 per cent saying that their order books had decreased.

Areas such as renewable energy works, water & sewerage and railways have grown but preliminary works and motorways & trunk roads have seen a drop off.

On balance, 30 per cent of businesses expected workloads to increase in the next year and this trend will continue to impact the already tight labour market, according to the survey.

Firms in the civil engineering sector reported an increase in staff over the past year and, on balance, 43 per cent were forecasting a rise in skilled operatives and 38 per cent were expecting an increase in wider staff employment.

That is contributing to a rise in staffing costs – 6.1 per cent for engineering staff and 4.7 per cent for administrative staff.

Other costs also continue to rise although the rate of the increase has slowed compared to a year ago.

Aggregates, bricks and clay products have all risen by seven per cent or more. Fabricated steel is also up by seven per cent although it was rising by more than 13 per cent a year ago.

The rate of inflation has also dropped on timber and plastic but it is still relatively high at 7.7 per cent and 6.3 per cent respectively. The rate of increase on fuel prices has also fallen sharply but is still more than four per cent.

MR JUSTIN WILSON (c/o: Morland House, 15 Davy Court, Castle Mound Way, Rugby, Warks. CV23 0UZ) – Application for approval of Reserved Matters for the appearance, layout, scale and landscaping of 290 dwellings pursuant to outline permission ref: 18/00359/OUT – at Sysonby Farm, Nottingham Road, Melton Mowbray, Leics. LE13 0NX.

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough

Antonino Puglisi (c/o Agent: Andrew Moore Architectural Services, 2 Netherley Road, Hinckley, Leics. LE10 0RF) – Demolition of existing semi-detached bungalow and erection of 2 dwellings – at 6 Shakespeare Drive, Hinckley, Leics. LE10 0BG.

UNNAMED APPLICANT (c/o Agent: Mr Matthew Blythin, DHA Planning Ltd, Eclipse House, Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone ME14 3EN) – Demolition of five school buildings and the construction of a new three-storey school building with associated landscaping, external canopies and external play area, including the construction and siting of a temporary teaching block and temporary staff car park during construction – at The Hinckley School, Butt Lane, Hinckley, Leics. LE10 1LE.

MR RICK MORRIS (c/o Agent: Miss Jane Tillotson, Hayward Architects, Station Road, Hinckley, Leics. LE10 1AW) – Approval of Reserved Matters for outline planning application 21/01069/OUT for 4 residential dwellings – at 20 Ashby Road, Stapleton, Leics. LE9 8JB.

MR IAN FERRY (c/o Agent: Lance Wiggins, Lion Planning, 14 Woodhouse Road, Quorn, Leics. LE12 8ED) – Erection of 20 accommodation pods, 10 holiday lodges, and management building with associated internal access roads, parking, landscaping and surface water balancing – at Inglenook Farm, Leicester Road, Barwell, Leics. LE9 8BD.

RICHBOROUGH ESTATES AND MR & MRS ADCOCK (c/o Agent: Georgina Doyle, Pegasus Group, 4 The Courtyard, Church Street, Lockington, Derbyshire DE74 2SL)

– Outline planning application for the erection of up to 475 dwellings, including public open space, land reserved for a primary school together with future expansion land – at land north of A47 Normandy Way and east of Stoke Road, Hinckley, Leics.