Quarter 1 2026 has been exceptional, but not in ways a drainage system business might hope for!

Some regions reported over 50 consecutive days of rain, making normal ground works on construction sites impossible, resulting in weak demand at the merchant.

February closed with much improved ground conditions and contractors rushed to catch up on delayed schedules. But the market for RMI and new build housing remains in the doldrums with further slides in planning applications and housing starts.

Whatever government policy exists on housing, it has failed to result in growth. It’s the single biggest gap in the UK market for construction materials with NHBC reporting Q1 registrations down 6% on Q1 2025, citing weak consumer confidence and rising mortgage costs.

Then March woke up to an Epic Fury, throwing the polymer market into an immediate upward cost spiral for all producers of plastic building materials. All manufacturers had to start the process of recovering the significant increase in distribution costs in line with oil hikes. We all hoped it would be limited and short lived, but it was the start of the biggest increase in Polymer prices since the Covid crisis. The speed of implementation is related to the relative stagnation in the market, which over prior periods increased competition leading to tighter margins throughout the industry, reducing manufacturers’ ability to absorb significant raw material cost increases.

Our industry needs stability, starting with a consistent flow of projects which begin on time, enabling contractors to maintain appropriate levels of manpower. It needs consistency within the supply chain, enabling manufacturers to match resource to demand and for merchants to deliver the service to the trade.

Even in a soft market, nothing changes in terms of the service which live projects require. Weak markets can be testing times for manufacturers and merchants, and we continue to jointly seek ways to add value to our customers. Brett Martin picked up another Supplier of the Year award in Q1, which reinforces our belief that excellence in customer service remains the best protection for sustainable business.