Forestry Journal:

This piece is an extract from our Forestry Features newsletter, which is emailed out at 4PM every Wednesday with a round-up of the week's top stories. 

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ALMOST every single person reading this will advocate for timber's use in construction. It's structurally sound, (can be) locally grown, and remains good for the environment throughout its lifetime, long after leaving the forest. 

But the current picture for timber in construction is something of a mixed bag, with demand for wood on building projects slowing down, brought about by factors far beyond forestry's control. 

Rising inflation and interest rates across Europe are having a significant effect on new housing starts and renovations. 

According to speakers at the recent TDUK Global Market Conference, held in London, this isn't going to change anytime soon. There may be a slight uptake come 2024, but it's likely to be 2025 before the market grows with pace again. 

“The current short-term challenges do not change the long-term positive outlook for timber in construction," concluded Olle Berg, EVP market and business development at SETRA Group, with much positivity. 

Forestry Journal: The TDUK conference was held in London earlier this month The TDUK conference was held in London earlier this month (Image: TDUK)

Across the continent, there are examples of timber being used in large construction projects. Whether it's a train station in Naples or a new terminal at Zurich Airport, timber is increasingly being trusted and relied upon.

There is no reason the UK can't do the same, and, in many ways, it already is. This newsletter drops on the same day the winners of 2023's Wood Awards will be announced. A seafront visitor centre, a concert hall, and an office complex are among the buildings in the running to be crowned top of the chops (sorry), showing the variety with which wood can be used.  

But herein lies a problem that won't go away, even if the markets become offensively favourable to the construction sector. 

The UK's softwood planting rates remain fairly low – Scotland aside – meaning that, in theory, we're heading for a situation in which timber's use in construction will be much more in demand, but locally-grown wood will not be more readily available. 

It doesn't take an expert to work out what those two contrasting conclusions will mean for a country already importing 81 per cent of its timber.