Aggregate sales down 7%

Ready-mixed concrete sales fell by 4%, year-on-year, and asphalt by 18%

These are the findings of the latest survey from the Mineral Products Association (MPA), confirming a slow start to construction activity in 2013.

Although weather is reckoned to have had an impact on the quarterly figures, the MPA says that “the underlying trends for mineral product sales into construction remain significantly negative”.

The 18% fall in sales of asphalt, quarter-on-quarter, follows an 18% decline in 2012 as a whole, reflect the downturn in road maintenance budgets. Government statistics indicate that road construction fell by 41% in 2012.

MPA chief executive Nigel Jackson said: “The disappointing first quarter MPA results reflect the reality that construction activity remains very depressed following the 8% decline in construction during 2012. We hope that the measures to boost housing announced in the Budget and the implementation of infrastructure funding increases from the Autumn Statement will help stimulate increased demand as the year proceeds.

"The key message must be about focussing on accelerating delivery and the conversion of well-intentioned announcements into increased cashflow throughout the supply chain. Publicly and privately funded infrastructure projects must be delivered more quickly to back up positive policy and funding announcements. If not, the lack of construction activity will continue to be a dead weight holding back economic recovery.”

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