STRUCTURAL TIMBER ASSOCIATION
A CHALLENGING HOUSING MARKET:
THE CASE FOR TIMBER
01 2023 has been a financially challenging year with high interest rates and the cost-of-living crisis squeezing budgets for everybody. Andrew Orriss from the Structural Timber Association (STA) examines how timber can help bring economic stability to the housebuilding sector. Despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s recent dialling back on net zero targets, decarbonisation remains a key focus for all within the construction industry. For those of us in the structural timber sector, who are well versed in this material’s environmental profile, it’s clear that where carbon reduction is a requirement timber wins hands down.
36
w
The structural timber industry is emersed in all things carbon reduction and climate change as we work with the Government programme Timber in Construction. The programme was brought about following the publication of the Net Zero Strategy, Build Back Greener in October 2021 whereby the intention is clearly stated to use more timber in construction. A cross departmental group has been set up including DLUHC, DESNEZ (formerly BEIS) DEFRA, and the Forestry Commission to develop a plan on how to achieve the following fundamental objectives: • Foster collaboration between sectors to develop policy options to safely increase timber in construction • Produce a policy roadmap for timber in construction with a clear implementation plan • Joined-up approach to developing the UK’s forest cover to support wood processing industries.
STRUCTURALTIMBERMAGAZINE.CO.UK
Yet, while we talk endlessly about environmental performance there are other often-missed aspects of sustainability when building with structural timber – particularly within the housebuilding sector. While we can point to the fact that such homes can be future-proofed and adapted according to lifestyle changes and demographics, we should also recognise the fact of economic sustainability and the importance of supporting an industry that can counter the much talked about skills shortage in construction. The press recently has been full of new construction technologies unable to sustain their business models for a variety of unfortunate reasons. As each one goes it throws shade on the viability of that technology from an economic standpoint and therefore erodes confidence in the ongoing use of any new technology. As someone who has been involved in MMC and offsite construction for much longer that I would dare to admit, this is deeply saddening.