Government backs plans to grow UK wood market

The commitment is contained in today’s publication of the government’s response to the Independent Panel on Forestry’s final report recommendations on the future of trees and woodland in England.

The government says BRE chief executive Dr Peter Bonfield will head up the industry action, “Grown in Britain”, which will focus on creating market demand for the wood industry supply chain and exploring new market opportunities that will drive jobs, skills and growth across the UK.

Other news in the government response includes the creation of an independent public body to hold in trust the nation’s publicly-owned forests in place of the Forestry Commission, though the commission will continue its existing work and gets a £3.5m budget increase next year.

But the government has not directly answered the panel’s call for local authorities to introduce a “Wood First” policy for construction projects, in order to increase use of wood in buildings.

Instead, it says authorities should consider locally-sourced materials, while developments should reflect the character of their surroundings, ”while not preventing or discouraging appropriate innovation”.

But it has held initial discussions with the Timber Trade Federation and has commissioned research aimed at developing a better understanding of wood products and their markets. “We will publish more on this in the summer,” it said.

Dr Bonfield’s involvment in heading the Action Plan will include drawing in processors, retailers, contractors, buyers, woodland owners and the government. The outcomes of his work will be published in the autumn.

Other news in the government statement includes support for increasing woodland cover in England, though it says the panel’s recommendation to target a 50% increase in England’s woodland cover from 10% to 15% by 2060 was “unlikely to be achievable or affordable”.

However, it said a joint approach by government and the whole forestry sector could create conditions that aid private investment in woodland creation. A 12% woodland cover by 2060, it added, could be achieved by such an approach.