Timber Construction. Barriers and Solutions

The UK Government has set up the Timber in Construction Working Group, which looks to outline a roadmap to increase timber use in construction by the end of this year. This working group is a joint government initiative run by DBT, DESNZ, DEFRA, DLUHC and the Forestry Commission.

The working group was created following increasing recognition of the benefits of timber construction by government advisory bodies, such as the Climate Change Committee1 and Environmental Audit Committee. The group was also created to assist the UK’s bid to achieve net zero by 2050, with timber construction offering a safe and effective means to decarbonising the UK’s built environment.
This report looks to assist the government’s work, outlining how we can safely and effectively expand low-carbon timber construction in the UK.

The report will be structured around key themes identified by the government. These are:
Demand | How do we make wood the number one material for housebuilders?
Supply | How do we ensure timber supply is capable of meeting long-term demand?
Building Safety | How do we tackle misconceptions about timber and fire safety?
Labour and Skills | How do we upskill future generations towards low-carbon construction and tackle labour shortages in the economy?
Each chapter will investigate where barriers exist to expanding timber use, and what solutions are available to government to address them.

The report will primarily focus on timber frame housebuilding in the UK, which offers the quickest avenue for large-scale timber  expansion in the UK.

In doing this, we hope to provide a set of useful policy recommendations to aid the government in its bid to expand timber use and decarbonise construction in the UK.