The Structural Timber Association brought industry and housing voices together at Westminster.
The Structural Timber Association convened a panel discussion at the Palace of Westminster. Its purpose was to discuss the role of structural wood in sustainably accelerating housebuilding across the United Kingdom.
The expert panel was chaired by Matt Turmaine MP, a member of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, and Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick.
The panel included Andrew Orriss, Chief Executive of the Structural Timber Association; Scott Walters, Sales Director of the Building Division at Egger UK; Darren Jarman, Managing Director of Lowfield Timber Frames; and Peter Lacey, Manufacturing Director - Developments at Places for People. The event was attended by developers and social housing providers.
The discussion focused on housing delivery, timber structures, construction speed and sustainability.
Matt Turmaine, Member of Parliament for Watford, said:
Providing enough housing remains one of the defining policy challenges of our time. The benefits of building with timber structures are clear. This is not only in terms of construction speed, but also in terms of sustainability. Also important, how the quality of the materials and construction practices used.
Structural timber has a vital role to play in delivering more homes now, throughout the 2030s, and beyond.
For the construction industry, events like this are a useful indicator of progress.
Conferences of this kind provide a positive boost to the sector because they bring policy makers, housebuilders, housing associations and supply-chain leaders into the same conversation.
Andrew Orriss, Chief Executive of the Structural Timber Association, said:
Around seven of the UK's 15 largest housebuilders are planning to manufacture timber-frame homes.
It has been a privilege to bring together housebuilders, housing associations, and industry leaders here in Westminster today.
We look forward to working closely with the UK Government to accelerate housebuilding during this Parliament and beyond. While helping both the government and the construction sector achieve the UK's net-zero carbon ambitions by 2050. This aligns with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Timber in Construction Roadmap.
FENCYX is pleased to see industry events that support new construction opportunities.
FENCYX, as one of the leading wholesale suppliers in the UK construction industry, is pleased to see conferences like this taking place.
We are confident that events of this kind help the industry grow by creating new business connections and opening the door to new contracts.