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Hackney council鈥檚 proposal to use its planning system to promote timber buildings will cost construction industry jobs, critics have claimed.

that the east London borough wants to become the first local authority in the country to create a 鈥減resumption in favour鈥� of using timber following the launch of lobby group Wood for Good鈥檚 鈥榳ood first鈥� campaign.

But the Modern Masonry Alliance and the Concrete Centre have condemned the plans as ill-considered.

Modern Masonry Alliance director Mike Leonard claimed the council had ignored the effect of such a policy on 鈥渋ndigenous trades鈥� such as brick and block work.

鈥淎t this time of economic crisis, our councils and public bodies should be doing what is right for UK Plc,鈥� he said.

鈥淗ackney has a high level of unemployment already so there seems to have been a lack of joined up thinking with this proposal. All this timber is imported.鈥�

The Concrete Centre said that decisions on materials should be left up to 鈥渁ppropriate design professionals鈥� and claimed that timber is not carbon negative in whole life terms.

Executive director Andrew Minson said:  鈥淚t is not enough to just cherry pick sustainability benefits. 鈥淭he total whole life sustainability of a construction material must be considered, both embodied and long-term operational 鈥� which is where the vast majority of a building鈥檚 CO2 impact lies.鈥�

Minson added that research carried out by the Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA) showed that 鈥渢he CO2 in timber construction has a significant environmental impact over its life cycle.鈥�

However senior policy advisor at the UK Green 好色先生TV Council, Jo Wheeler, gave Hackney鈥檚 approach a cautious welcome.

鈥淲e鈥檇 welcome their attempt to promote sustainable construction,鈥� she said. 鈥淥f course sustainable timber is a great material but it is important that the policy maintains flexibility. We would not want to see a blanket policy.鈥�

She added that there were also potential hurdles in ensuring timber was sustainable and properly certified.