Job losses announced at Whittlesey brick maker Forterra

Jobs are being axed at a leading brick maker in Whittlesey as challenges facing the construction industry tighten their grip.

It is understood that building products manufacturer Forterra has already made nine redundancies among its drivers with a further 25 jobs currently at risk among its manufacturing staff.

Forterra operates the Kings Dyke brickworks at Whittlesey, which has operated continuously since its opening on June 24, 1969.

A spokesperson for Forterra said: “Our trading update issued on October 11 highlighted that the construction industry continues to be an incredibly challenging market.

“With a reduced demand for our products with no immediate sign of recovery and with an expectation that the difficult market conditions will continue well into 2024, further reductions to production are necessary to address our inventory levels as the recent increases are unsustainable.

“Therefore, regrettably we are now commencing consultation on proposals to further reduce our production output and outbound logistics provision in order to align more closely with expected sales.

He added: “We have regrettably reduced our driver community at Whittlesey.

“We have begun a consultation process on a potential further reduction in the number of roles at our Kings Dyke factory.”

Despite the current woes around the construction Forterra’s trading update also highlighted an expected improvement in demand.

It stated: “Growing political focus on increasing housing supply ahead of a general election reinforces the Board's confidence in the long-term industry fundamentals and the Board remains confident that the Group remains well placed to benefit when market demand recovers.”