Accrington bricks back in production
PRODUCTION of the famous Accrington brick has restarted seven years after the site in East Lancashire was mothballed.
Hanson Building Products has invested £1.6m and created more than 30 new jobs with 20 more in the pipeline by the end of the year following a surge in demand from the construction sector.
Production is taking place in two stages, the first one this month while phase two will involve a further £350,000 investment later in the year.
Last week, Hanson was sold by its German owner to US fund Lone Star in a deal worth £900m.
Accrington bricks – also known as red Nori bricks – are famed for their strength and were used to build the foundations of Blackpool Tower and the Empire State Building in Manhattan, New York.
Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne visited the site as part of two-day tour of the North West to re-launch the government’s northern powerhouse initiative at the end of last week.
The pair set out a “six-point long-term economic plan” for the region, including a pledge to have more than 100,000 more people in employment in the region during the next parliament. They also vowed to build 25,000 new homes in the North West.
It was the first in a series of regional tours the PM and chancellor will be undertaking in the coming months ahead of the general election in May.
Three bids from the region were among 29 areas shortlisted for the government’s housing zones initiative to boost delivery of homes on brownfield sites.
