Sustainable Construction Solutions
Grown in Britain Woodstock Timber

Grown in Britain WoodStock

Client: English Woodlands Timber

Role: Project Management, Research

Project Manager: Charlie Law

In March 2015, an Innovate UK funding competition was launched with the theme ‘Supply Chain Integration in Construction’. Sustainable Construction Solutions were approached by English Woodlands Timber (EWT) to help put together a consortium, write the bid, and if successful, carry out much of the research and assist with the project management.

In addition to EWT, the final consortium included Grown in Britain, the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the Forestry Commission, the Sylva Foundation, Willmott Dixon, and additional consultant Resource Efficiency Services. The bid was successful with funding of over £100,000 being awarded to the consortium in June 2015 for the 12 month project.

The key aim of the project was to carry out a feasibility study into the Grown in Britain WoodStock idea, the aim of which is to improve the flow of hardwood timber from UK woodlands into the construction supply chain.

woodstock-supply-chain

The project had five main work streams:

  • WS1 – Market research to establish the timber species and section sizes being purchased by the UK construction industry, and identify what timber is available in UK woodlands to match this, and also identify the infrastructure required to process this;
  • WS2 – Timber stock funding options that will look to increase round wood and sawn timber stocks without imposing additional risks on the supply chain;
  • WS3 – Timber supply hub that will be able to locate available timber in independent saw mills around the UK;
  • WS4 – Material efficiencies, looking at how sawn hardwood processing and yield could be improved;
  • WS5 – Industry engagement, to unite and galvanise the full support of the UK construction and timber industries.

Sustainable Construction Solutions carried out much of the research into work streams 1, 3 & 4 and drafted the final report, which confirmed that the project was feasible. The project is now seeking further independent funding to enable the lunch of the concept.

A copy of the Grown in Britain WoodStock final report can be found on the Grown in Britain website.

“There are more than 30 million tonnes of timber in unmanaged woodlands throughout the UK, which the project will begin the process of unlocking. With the UK relying on high levels of imported timber this Grown in Britain project is vital to breaking down barriers within the supply chain for home-grown hardwood, making it much more accessible and readily available.”  Dougal Driver – CEO, Grown in Britain