Record diesel prices cost the construction industry nearly £600 million since January, former spread secures £4m funding, and six friends cycle the length of UK
The increase in diesel prices has cost the construction sector nearly £600 million since January.
This week, diesel costs surpassed £2 a litre for the first time — a 42% rise since the start of the year.
The construction sector consumes a billion litres of diesel a year.
Worse could be to come, with supply chain experts warning businesses to prepare themselves for a £3-a-litre scenario.
A spokesperson for the Construction Planet Hire Association said the record fuel prices were a hammer blow to the thousands of family-run plant hire firms that keep building sites moving.
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A former plasterer has secured a £4 million investment to fund the expansion of his materials firm.
Tom Robinson set up Adaptavate in 2011 to manufacture carbon-negative plasterboards.
Gypsum plasterboards are one of the highest carbon-producing construction materials after cement and steel.
Robinson said the funding reflected confidence in the firm’s technology and commercial strategy.
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Six friends have cycled from John O’Groats to Land’s End in memory of their mate and builder Dick Cashmore.
Cashmore lost his life in 2020 after a long mental health battle.
The 1000-mile ride generated £20,000 for the Dick Cashmore Legacy Foundation that raises awareness of the mental crisis in construction.
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