Goodwill was thick in the air at the latest staging of the West Lothian Construction Forum, which took place at the Sibbald Training Centre in Blackridge.

The meeting attracted the largest number of Forum attendees to date, with around 20 different companies represented.

Lynn Martin of Business Gateway West Lothian was the guest speaker, who explained what help is available for growing businesses.

Developers, landscapers, electricians, renewables experts, roofers and house builders were all in attendance as they discussed various ways of assisting each other during what many agreed was a tough period for the industry.

Jamie Taylor of Taylor Roofs, who has chaired the Forum for nearly a year, said: “It was great to see so many businesses come along and engage with each other.

“There is no doubt that momentum is building as regards to the Forum and this week’s meeting was the busiest one yet. There were lots of good ideas exchanged and it was encouraging to hear everyone discuss how we could all help each other going forward.”

Key to the growth of the Forum has been the return to in-person meetings.

Mr Taylor said: “We are making a conscious effort to get people along and gather in one meeting space as it definitely helps create an energy in the room and in turn build better relationships.

“More and more businesses are showing an interest in joining the Forum and that has to be good for the sector in the region.”

The next meeting of the West Lothian Construction Forum takes place at the Sibbald Training Centre on Thursday 13 November, 4.30pm-6.30pm, with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) presenting on the evening.