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Why does the government want to increase the use of timber?

In its net zero strategy published in October the government recognised that 鈥渢imber has the lowest embodied carbon of any mainstream building materials鈥�. It announced plans to promote 鈥渢he safe use of timber in construction through several measures鈥� and promised to work with industry bodies to create 鈥渁 policy roadmap on the use of timber鈥�.

In simple terms, it takes relatively little energy to turn wood from trees into timber products when compared with the production of other materials. Brick, for instance, is the product of highly energy-intensive processes.

Proponents of timber-frame construction also point to its thermal efficiency and faster on-site build times.

Soaring energy costs, challenging net zero targets, dwindling fossil fuels and global supply chain issues鈥� surely there could not be a better time to accept that the use of wood is good?  

And yet construction鈥檚 use of timber in England is still relatively low, according to the Timber Trade Federation, accounting for just 23% of new-builds, (compared with 75% in Scotland, for example). There is therefore a huge opportunity to drive embodied carbon down by pulling this percentage upwards.

So the government has begun a series of actions to drive better take-up of timber-frame construction. These include the setting up a cross-departmental working group to develop the 鈥渞oadmap鈥� to put in front of ministers later in the year.

It has also pledged to fund the development of innovative timber products, to drive an increase in the use of modern methods of construction to encourage the use of timber, and to work with Homes England and other delivery partners to look at ways of increasing timber use in the delivery of housing programmes.

So far, so (potentially) good. 

If timber construction is so great, what鈥檚 the problem?

Part of the lack of take-up may be a cultural thing 鈥� a desire among housebuilders to stick with tried and tested methods. 

There are also two main concerns surrounding use of timber, namely that it is neither safe nor durable. One industry expert joked to 好色先生TV recently that this is in part due to the bad reputation that wood gets in the fable of 鈥渢he three little pigs鈥�.

Concerns about fire safety are understandable, particularly given the increased focus on the use of potentially flammable construction materials in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster in June 2017.

Nervousness about safety can also be seen in the language that the government is using. Ministers stress that they want to 鈥渟afely鈥� increase the use of timber. The government also stresses that the best opportunities for the 鈥渟afe鈥� growth of timber usage are in low-rise buildings only.

The use of combustible materials on blocks of more than 18m has been banned, although the government has now published a consultation paper on proposals to reduce this to buildings above 11m. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has gone further and made the non-use of combustible materials in external walls 鈥� regardless of building height 鈥� a condition of grant funding through his 拢3.46bn affordable homes programme.

And in addition to the fire safety issues, the perception persists that timber is less durable and more prone to water damage. This is an issue with implications for insurance, a key obstacle to increased use that the government is looking at, as 好色先生TV has previously reported.

>> Also read: Greater use of timber calls for pragmatism to keep insurers happy

So what is the cross-departmental group and who is on it?

The government has already fulfilled its pledge to convene what is known as the Timber in Construction Policy Roadmap Working Group, which met for the first time in November. It is being led by the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs and is chaired by the Conservative peer and international environment minister Zac Goldsmith.

Lord Goldsmith has a reputation as an environmentalist, through his support for planting trees in the UK and his opposition to the expansion of Heathrow airport. He not only wants to see an increase in timber-frame construction but he has also spoken of his desire to see more homegrown timber being used to achieve it.

The working group also has representation from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Forestry Commission and the Health Safety Executive (see box below).

The Home Builders Federation, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Structural Timber Association are among the bodies also represented, along with academics and building safety experts.

WHO鈥橲 ON THE WORKING GROUP?

Timber and Wood processing

Structural Timber Association

Timber Trade Federation

Timber Accelerator Hub

Confor

The Timber Research and Development Association

好色先生TV Safety

Health and Safety Executive

好色先生TV Regulations Advisory Committee

British Standards Institution

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

National Fire Chiefs Council

Construction

Home Builders Federation

Royal Institute of British Architects

Federation of Master Builders

Green Construction Board

House Builders Association

Academia

University College London

Edinburgh Napier

SIRT Research Group

Construction Scotland Innovation Centre

Bangor University

好色先生TV Research Establishment

Government departments / agencies

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC)

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

Forestry Commision

What will the working group look at?

The group is tasked with setting up the roadmap and installing a series of milestones and metrics that will set out precisely how timber construction can be adopted safely.

It is looking at four main areas: building safety and design, supply and demand of timber; lenders, insurers and warranty providers; timber鈥檚 role in reducing embodied carbon and competency and skills in construction, design and engineering.

The group, which numbers 21 industry stakeholders in addition to officials from the three government departments, is being split into sub-groups looking at each of the above issues. 

Will this become government policy?

The group aims to draft an initial set of proposals by May and then to finalise the roadmap over the summer, before submitting it to ministers for approval in August. The roadmap will then be published in the autumn and reviewed every three months. It is envisaged that it will then form the basis of the government鈥檚 policy for timber in construction.

How is the war in Ukraine affecting things?

The conflict in eastern Europe will have an impact in the short term and will feed through into discussions in the sub-group on the supply of and demand for timber. While timber has not been included in current sanctions imposed by the government, earlier this month the trade body Timber Development UK (TDUK) advised all of its members to cease trading with Belarus and Russia.

It cited 鈥渆xtremely high鈥� reputational and financial risks of having 鈥渃onflict timber鈥� in inventories or buildings. TDUK says relatively small amounts of timber are exported from Russia to the UK directly, but it is a major supplier to the EU.

In a market statement yesterday, TDUK said: 鈥淲e are already working with EU supply partners to find ways to compensate for the overall loss of volume coming to the EU from Russia.鈥�

TDUK said products such as Russian Siberian Larch, or wood used in joinery such as birch plywood, or oak, will see supply directly affected. It warned that 鈥渟ome key products will no longer be imported and are likely to be under significant pressure in coming months until alternative sources or products can be found鈥�. It also stressed that it will take time for existing stock to 鈥渇lush through the system鈥�.

What is the mood among the working group?

There is a genuine desire to see what can be done to increase the use of timber in UK construction projects and the decision to convene a wide-ranging group to look at the issue has been widely welcomed. Simon Allford, president of the RIBA, is among many prominent figures to have endorsed the plan.

Working group member Andrew Carpenter, chief executive of the Structural Timber Association, said: 鈥淭he direction of travel is extremely positive and everyone is keen to collaborate and come up with solutions.

鈥淪tructural timber can play an essential role in helping meet the government鈥檚 net zero by 2050 target.鈥�

>> Also read: Let鈥檚 make timber safer

So amid much current industry gloom about the economy, inflation and availability of materials, here is one group that is looking for positive outcomes in the drive to increase the amount of timber-frame construction in the UK. By the end of the year it should be clear just how likely it is to succeed.