Environment secretary Elizabeth Truss visited a Willmott Dixon development in Kilburn, north London in the morning and saw first-hand how the contractor is backing the UK-grown timber sector.
UK-sourced timber is one of the main components of the company’s 208 home development, with products from James Jones, Sharvatt Woolwich, Egger, Norbord and BSW Timber, and the minister’s visit is seen as an endorsement for the Grown in Britain campaign to create a sustainable future for UK forests and woodlands by establishing end markets for timber.
"Forestry plays a critical role in our economy, providing the raw materials used by many businesses in the UK," said Ms Truss.
"The British timber industry is now the seventh largest in Europe and Grown in Britain is doing brilliant work in increasing the demand for British wood products and attracting investment to the sector."
Dougal Driver, chief executive officer of Grown in Britain added that buying more British timber creates jobs and employment opportunities for rural communities, increases green growth and provides a greater incentive to better manage the nation’s forests and woodlands.
"It also recognises the need to continue planting more trees for future generations," he said. "It’s great to see companies like Willmott Dixon put the economic engine back into UK forestry."
Lord de Mauley, parliamentary under-secretary of state for natural environment and science, Defra, then hosted the Grown in Britain week launch at the House of Lords in the afternoon.
At the launch, fellow minister Dan Rogerson, parliamentary under-secretary of state for water, forestry, rural affairs and resource management, outlined some of Grown in Britain’s many achievements in its first 12 months, including attracting high profile backers such as Travis Perkins.
"Travis Perkins now segregates its home-grown and imported wood and says that sales of home-grown have doubled as a result," said Mr Rogerson.
He added that Grown in Britain also demonstrated synergies between the private and public sectors and mirrored his department’s mission to "protect, improve and expand" forestry in the UK.
Ed Suttie, BRE director of timber and materials and GiB executive also spoke at the launch and highlighted some of the research projects involving home-grown species that are under way. These include work being carried out by Tyler Hardwoods and Vastern Timber to explore the potential of thermal modification of British-grown ash, large volumes of which are coming on to the market due to the spread of chalara in the country.
Other events for GiB week include a one-day conference hosted by Confor, with the Welsh Forest Business Products Partnership on the long-term future for Welsh softwood supplies; a visit to the University of East Anglia’s new Enterprise Centre, built using timber from the nearby Thetford forest; an open day at Hooke Park; a National Wood Fuel Conference at Denbies Estate; and events at Vastern Timber.
