Wood First, a Wood for Good campaign which aims to persuade local authorities to recognise the sustainability of wood and incorporate a Wood First policy into their planning guidance, has sparked fierce debate with competitor materials – especially the concrete industry.
The debate on January 22 came at a time when Hackney Council – which had been in line to be the first UK council to introduce a Wood First policy – decided to stop short of creating a specific policy favouring wood.
David Hopkins, head of external affairs for Wood for Good and the Timber Trade Federation, was one of the speakers along with Andrew Carpenter, chief executive of the UK Timber Frame Association, plus representatives from the architectural and steel sectors.
Mr Hopkins said he was encouraged by Hackney’s stance which recognises the carbon sequestration in wood, as well as a desire to promote building with wood.
"Hackney has really shown the way by allowing carbon sequestration to be taken into account," said Mr Hopkins.
"It’s the arguments behind Wood First that need accepting, so we have really started the ball rolling here."
Mr Hopkins said Hackney’s example showed councils could create more favourable planning regimes towards wood use without introducing restrictive rules excluding other building materials.
A Hackney Council statement said it would not consider a policy that excluded other locally-sourced building materials or prevent the future use of other sustainable construction materials.
"However, it will take into account the carbon footprint of a new development to ensure it is in line with its sustainability policy and the use of structural timber would help to contribute to this," it said.
