Low carbon vehicles and construction work

Early day motion 1491, tabled 11 February 2021 by Mike Amesbury (Labour). Signed by 10 members.

That this House congratulates the Batch on Site Association (BSA) and its members for reducing the carbon footprint of essential construction supplies, especially in town and city centres, rural areas and in carrying out emergency road repairs by utility companies; further congratulates Mobile Concrete Batching Plant manufacturers, Armcon, BayLynx, Cementeh, KC3, Mixamate, Proall and Roadmaster Omega using aluminium and Hardox lighter steels to reduce vehicle weights, but accepts the evidence of 200 UK construction companies that cutting their weight from 38.4 and 44 tonnes to 32 tonnes damages the ability of those vehicles to supply the widest possible range of cements to the biggest number of customers in one trip, replacing single lorry journeys with multiple journeys, causing a much higher carbon footprint, with more fuel used and generating more CO, Nox, SO2, VOCs and PMs; further notes that planned Government restrictions from 2028 on those specialist vehicles severely limits the flexible supply of concrete and has contributed to a 600% decline in the manufacture of MCBPs from over 220 in 2017 to fewer than 35 now; notes that users of MCBPs provide 3,150 FTE jobs directly, and 5,350 indirectly, generating £210 million in GVA; further notes the report submitted to the Department of Transport by Regeneris Analysts calculating the weight changes will increase the number of round-trip lorry journeys by 325,000 pa and add 750,000 more miles to lorry journeys, a 25 per cent increase in vehicle miles; and calls on the Government to make permanent the temporary 38.4T and 44T weight limits.

Signatures by party: Labour 7, DUP 1, Labour/Co-operative 1, Liberal Democrat 1.