Police making construction ‘impossible’ with haulage restrictions, says NFB

Police and local council restrictions on the movement of large loads on UK roads are making construction logistics nearly impossible, according to the National Federation of Builders (NFB). 

The body claims it has heard that crane operators and hauliers which move abnormal-sized loads are pulling out of the market because embargoes on travel between certain hours are making jobs “impossible” or “financially unviable”. 

Related concerns cited by industry hauliers include contractual complications due to weather conditions not being suitable, higher costs of escorts and environmental and working hour regulations hindering deliveries. 

NFB chief executive Richard Beresford said: “A productive nation is nothing without a well-functioning construction industry, but we are increasingly finding that the operational side of construction is far from the minds of decision makers.”

The organisation has called for a temporary Written Ministerial Statement removing all embargoes on travel for abnormal loads. 

It claims this would give the government time and space to have a consultation on how travel restrictions should work nationally. 

>> CLC calls on government to fix shortage of hauliers 

“Letting local police forces and councils make decisions on travel embargoes, particularly when they are not providing evidence of their rationale, is creating a logistical nightmare and another major barrier for UK productivity,” Rico Wotjulewicz, NFB’s head of policy and market insight, added. 

“With so many issues across the industry, from the cost of materials and shrinking pool of workers, to a broken planning process and increased insolvencies, we need the government to act quickly and sort out this mess.”