Hackney Considers Wood First rule

The London Borough of Hackney has become the first local authority to hold a stakeholder symposium in order to consider evidence toward introducing a Wood First style preference in planning guidance.

The symposium - sponsored by Wood for Good - took place on May 17th and saw a full day of presentations and evidence from a wide range of stakeholders including architects, developers, planning experts and contractors. There was a strong, high-level of debate from all participants taking all pros and cons into account.

A lot of attention focused on the sequestered carbon embodied in timber and the renewable nature of the material through sustainable forestry practices, while the practical benefits of construction time, insulation, sound proofing and resident satisfaction were also positively appraised. Hackney council reported that they had only ever had 100% response rates from residents of their buildings twice - both cases being in their flagship timber buildings, Stadthaus and Bridport House.

In each case feedback was also 100% positive, with residents comments including the fact they were not disturbed by noisy neighbours as the soundproofing was so good, and that they had hardly ever had to use their central heating as the buildings were so well insulated.

John White, Chief Executive of the TTF, who attended the symposium said: "This was a fantastic event - a real step change in our approach to positively engaging with the wider construction industry. It also accords with the timber industry's view that we should be leading the debate on sustainable construction, not following it. It is also a great start to the Wood First campaign, which, with industry support, will go from strength to strength."

The planning department will now be drafting a planning guidance proposal to be put forward for public consultation and a cabinet vote and decision will be taken later this year.

All of the presentations from the symposium will be available online in due course. Wood for Good supporters and TTF members will be kept up to date on all developments as they are made available.

Wood for Good calls on Industry to pledge support for Wood First

Following the successful launch of its Wood First campaign, Wood for Good campaign manager David Hopkins has called on the industry to sign up and pledge support.

"This campaign is already making headway, but will only really breakthrough if we have the full support of the timber industry itself. We're urging everyone involved to sign up, make themselves fluent in the arguments in favour of Wood First, and start to spread the word to their customers, clients, local authorities and others. The more people get involved, the quicker this message will spread - it is your job to be a passionate advocate for your industry!"

To sign up and support the campaign, please visit www.woodforgood.com and click on the Wood First logo. Please also remember that Wood for Good runs on financial contributions from industry, If your organisation would like to contribute please contact David Hopkins on dhopkins@woodforgood.com

Wood Awards - Still Time to Enter  

There is still time to enter the 2012 Wood Awards - the premier competition celebrating excellence in design in the world's most sustainable material.

Now in its tenth year, the Wood Awards is the most respected award for building and design in wood.

If you have supplied timber to or been involved in any building design project you feel deserves recognition, please do enter at www.woodawards.com

AHEC: LCA study shows American hardwood low-carbon credentials

American hardwoods are among the most environmentally-friendly building materials according to data released from an ongoing lifecycle assessment study commissioned by AHEC, the American Hardwood Export Council.

In particular, the initial results of the LCA study show that the amount of carbon sequestered during the growth of the tree more than offsets the total carbon emissions released during extraction, processing and shipment from the US to the EU or India.

In addition, the study also shows that the volume of standing hardwood in US forests more than doubled from 5billion cubic metres to 11.4billion cubic metres between 1953 and 2007.

Roderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, India and Oceania, said: "This huge expansion of the resource, which actually coincides with a period of significant increase in US and international wood demand, is testament to a long-term commitment to good forest governance and sustainable hardwood production in the United States."

For more information on the LCA study please visit www.americanhardwood.org

EU Suspends Burma Ban

Due to political issues in Burma, restrictive measures have been in place in the EU since 2008 (Regulation (EC) 194/2008). This included an outright ban on imports into the EU of all timber and timber products originating from Burma. 

Following the European Council Regulation [EU 409/2012] the TTF can confirm that these sanctions have now been suspended, for one year initially. From May 16th 2012 until April 30th 2013, imports into the EU of timber and timber products originating from Burma are again allowed.

However, as with many countres, we advise members that, to minimise exposure to risk of illegal material entering the supply chain, second or third party independent audits are undertaken on all sources of supply where possible.

We will advise members as the situation develops. 

Supply Chain Sustainability School Launched

Suppliers and sub-contractors are invited to participate in the launch of the Supply Chain Sustainability School - a virtual learning environment that aims to help develop sustainability knowledge and competence.  

The school has been founded by Skanska with support from Kier, Lend Lease, Morgan Sindall, Sir Robert McAlpine, Willmott Dixon and Aggregate Industries. A significant amount of funding has also been secured from Construction Skills to help develop capacity.

The launch will be held on June 21st and memberships can be activated after this date. If you would like to sign up and receive further information please visit http://www.supplychainschool.co.uk/ and follow instructions.

AGM Papers Circulated

TTF Members are reminded that the AGM papers have now been sent out and should have arrived at your offices. There is one set of papers per company. Please do let us know if these do no arrive in the next day or so.

We look forward to your completed, returned paperwork and to seeing you at the AGM on June 13th at the Building Centre, London.

Graydon: No Respite in 2012

Graydon's first quarter Insolvency Predictor statistics confirm a difficult start for businesses supplying to the construction sector.

The main areas of concern for the sector include the challenges linked to the availability of affordable finance and the continuing pressure being brought by HMRC following the cessation of the TTP (time to pay) scheme.

Major lenders are not overly supporting businesses and SMEs are still struggling despite the range of government schemes and incentives available. The banks are simply not playing ball and this has led to alternative lenders entering and consolidating their position in the market place with higher interest rates and ultimately higher costs. Companies are being pressured to sell at any cost by their existing lenders in order to generate revenue. However, this can lead to businesses finding themselves at breaking point as their cash flows begin to take a hit.

Credit insurers remain very wary of any business operating in and supplying to the construction sector and cover is hard to come by in many cases, if at all.

To read this article in full, please CLICK HERE or visit the Graydon website.

Farewell Christina....

And last but not least, the TTF has this week said a fond farewell to Christina Lewis who has retired after 37 years long service.

John White, Chief Executive of the TTF said: "We are of course very sad to see Christina go. She has seen the TTF go through many different eras and changes. I am sure all of our members will join us in raising a glass and wishing her a long and happy retirement. She will be sorely missed." 

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