Hanson’s Claughton bricks are back for 2014
Company reopens Claughton Manor brick works following upturn in new housing construction
HOUSING minister Kris Hopkins visited Hanson’s reopened Claughton Manor brick works, near Lancaster, this month to see bricks being produced for the first time in four years.
The works was closed in December 2009 as house building reached an all-time low, but the recent dramatic upturn in new housing construction, fuelled by the Government’s Help to Buy scheme, has created a renewed and sustained demand for bricks, leading to the Claughton plant being reopened. It is the first time a brick works has ever been ‘de-mothballed’.
The works is producing a range of traditional red and buff extruded bricks in dragface and rustic textures to meet the key aesthetic and technical requirements of planners in northern England.
Paul Lacey, head of marketing and sustainability with Hanson UK, said: ‘The growth in house building means orders are very strong which has led to this unprecedented move, which has created 34 new jobs. It is fantastic news for the local economy and increases our capacity and product offering to house builders.’
He added: ‘The Claughton Classics range contains many firm favourites to complement traditional housing stock as well as a number of exciting new bricks ideal for modern housing developments.’
