Building products manufacturer Marshalls has begun construction of a new dual block plant that it says will transform capacity and boost innovation in the hard landscaping industry.

Marshalls, which makes paving blocks and other landscaping products, is investing £20m over two years in a new plant at St Ives, Cambridgeshire. The investment will fund the installation of the UK’s first dual block plant.

The dual block plant is in addition to the existing plant at St Ives, and is expected to create an additional 200% manufacturing capacity. The machinery is expected to be installed throughout the first half of the year, with the first block produced by the end of summer 2022

Chief executive Martyn Coffey said:

“ In January we announced we would be investing over £30m in our business this year, this project forms part of that exciting programme of work. Our investment in this development is an investment for our customers – giving them access to an increased supply of the products they already know and value, as well as introducing them to new innovations and industry firsts.

“By investing heavily in our UK manufacturing capabilities, we are giving people more opportunities to source products from mainland Britain with less reliance on imports. This not only supports British jobs and reduces lead times but it also has a significant impact on the carbon footprint of materials and the resulting projects.”