Timber Trade Federation chief executive John White says he has been reassured that controls will be put in place on the London Olympic site to ensure only legal and sustainable timber is used.
Mr White visited the site and met the Olympic Delivery Authority’s (ODA) leader of construction products Dr Peter Bonfield, who told him that a computerised system will be used to identify all deliveries made to the site.
Mr White’s visit follows a recent incident where merchant T Brewer & Co Ltd was asked by a contractor to supply timber to the Olympic site but certified product was not specified. The contractor was unaware of the ODA’s commitment to use only legal and sustainable wood for Games construction.
“I was very encouraged by the clear competence of the ODA and was able to have some input,” he said. “Companies will not be able to supply timber for the Olympic project unless they are on the Timber Supplier Panel. End of story.”
An ODA spokersperson told TTJ that building materials for Olympic work would be delivered to two logistics centres, one based in east London and one near the M11, before they are then transferred to the Olympic Park in Stratford. No products will be delivered to the site direct from suppliers.
All suppliers will have to go through a delivery management system that involves planned, timed deliveries. “Suppliers will have to input a unique identification number that will indentify them as one of the members of the Timber Supplier Panel,” the spokesperson said.
