The two-day ‘strategic engagement’ trip, a joint venture with the UK Timber Frame Association, will involve personnel from 20 associations and their umbrella organisation, the National Housing Federation.
The trip, at the end of April, will include visits to the forest, sawmiller James Jones, panel producer Norbord, and timber frame specialists Scotframe and Stewart Milne Timber Building Systems. Participants will also tour social, private and private rented timber frame housing developments.
"England and Wales still lag behind Scotland in timber frame market penetration and we want to address that and increase take-up," said Wood for Good head of communications David Hopkins. "We’re following timber through the timber frame supply chain to highlight its environmental and overall performance benefits."
He added that it had not been difficult to drum up interest in the tour.
"Under the new National Planning Policy Framework local authorities are under increasing pressure to release land for housing and housing associations are looking for solutions that are quick build, high performance and meet their own and the local authorities’ sustainability objectives, all of which timber frame does," he said. "We also want to show them that timber frame looks good as well as performs, which is key not just for residents, but for minimising local communities’ objections to new development."
The trip, he added, will be followed up with further communications and round table discussions.
