{"id":11650,"date":"2024-07-30T11:32:45","date_gmt":"2024-07-30T10:32:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.merronbrook.co.uk\/news\/?p=11650"},"modified":"2025-05-29T10:36:11","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T09:36:11","slug":"putting-timber-on-the-national-agenda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merronbrook.co.uk\/news\/putting-timber-on-the-national-agenda\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting timber on the national agenda"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The new government has <\/span>pledged ambitious targets<\/u><\/a><\/span> to deliver new and affordable homes; in order for these to be sustainable, timber must play a significant role in their construction.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is undeniably achievable – in 2019, only 9% of new build homes in England were timber framed, a stark contrast to Scotland where this figure stood at 92% – underlining the vast opportunity to rapidly scale up this industry across the UK.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Overcoming the traditional bias towards masonry buildings is essential, and the <\/span>Timber in Construction Roadmap<\/u><\/a><\/span>, published late last year, highlights why embedding timber buildings into the mainstream UK new build sector is vital to delivering sustainability at scale.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Why<\/p>\n

The Timber in Construction Roadmap is a galvanising call to action highlighting timber's vital role in meeting the UK’s Net Zero target. It outlines the opportunities and challenges in delivering on this potential, including the role it can play in driving economic growth and creating new jobs and how the government supports increasing the number of timber-framed homes, public buildings, and offices being built in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

Timber-framed homes store about 50% more carbon than masonry homes, emphasising the environmental benefits of increased timber use. Beyond its sustainability credentials, timber-frame construction can revolutionise homebuilding, offering faster delivery of high-quality homes and embracing Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) on a large scale. Engineered wood products such as trussed rafters, floor joists, and timber frame panels are all precision-engineered in a controlled factory environment and manufactured to exacting STA and ISO Quality Assurance standards, which means they offer enhanced quality and safety. This combination of sustainability, safety, quality and faster installation underlines the importance of timber in helping solve the UK’s housing crisis. <\/span><\/p>\n

To support the expansion of low-carbon timber construction in the UK, the roadmap identifies seven priority <\/strong>areas of work, aiming to accelerate the adoption of this more sustainable material and increase domestic supply.<\/span><\/p>\n