It's time for timber frame

As I begin my chairmanship of the UK Timber Frame Association, both the Association and the timber sector are on a journey of growth and evolution, which I am excited to be a part of.

There are a number of key issues to tackle over the next year, including the fact that housebuilders are failing to give consumers the relevant information they need to make the vital decisions when buying a property, and the misconception that timber frame is seen as being expensive. It is only through working with multiple partners that we can tackle these issues head on.

Over the next few months, we will be looking to learn lessons from the Scottish timber frame industry, with a view to cascading knowledge into England and Wales. Timber frame currently accounts for 70% of the Scottish construction industry, compared to 17% in the rest of the UK, so there are definitely lessons to be learnt. We will be holding a series of best practice workshops to help us gain an insight from our Scottish members as to what works well north of the border, as well as taking 14 major English housing associations to visit timber frame manufacturers in the north of Scotland, to witness the forestry to manufacture supply chain.

As well as working with our members, we are also forging strong links with the UK government and the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales. At our regional conference in Edinburgh, we had the pleasure of welcoming Fergus Ewing MSP, minister for energy, enterprise and tourism, as our keynote speaker. During his speech, the minister gave strong backing to the Scottish construction industry and we look forward to working with him in the future. We will also be discussing best practice methods with the Welsh government, to ascertain how they can be implemented.

Although there are still challenges ahead, there has never been a better time to be involved in the timber industry. I look forward to working with colleagues across the sector to seize the moment and move timber frame forward.

? TTJ Industry Updates are a forum for trade bodies to address key issues.