Structural timber supply chain showcased to UK housebuilders and lenders

Major UK housebuilders and mortgage lenders have taken part in a construction-led tour of Scotland’s structural timber supply chain, aimed at exploring faster and more sustainable approaches to housing delivery.

The two-day “Learning Journey” was organised by the Structural Timber Association in partnership with the Future Homes Hub, PEFC, Swedish Wood, West Fraser and James Jones & Sons.

Delegates were shown how timber frame homes can be erected in as little as five days, with the visit focusing on the full construction process from forestry through to completed housing.

The tour also highlighted the contrast between regional adoption rates, with around 92% of new homes in Scotland using timber frame compared to approximately 13% in England.

Supply chain tour from forestry to housing delivery

The programme covered multiple stages of the timber construction supply chain across Scotland.

The first visit took place at West Fraser’s manufacturing facility in Inverness, where oriented strand board (OSB) panels are produced for use in housing construction.

Delegates then visited Cublin Forest, managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, to examine sustainable forestry practices, timber certification and biodiversity considerations.

Further stops included manufacturing facilities operated by James Jones & Sons in Forres and Aberdeenshire, where engineered timber products and structural timber are processed for use in housing systems.

The second day included a visit to Kirkwood Timber Frame in Aberdeenshire, where delegates observed the design and manufacture of timber frame housing systems, followed by site visits to live housing developments delivered by Cala Homes and Bancon Homes in Aberdeen.

Focus on sustainability, certification and modern methods

The tour explored how timber construction aligns with sustainability targets, including reduced embodied carbon and improved energy performance.

John Kirkby, Executive Director of PEFC, said: “Timber has a vital role to play in the transition to a low-carbon built environment, but it is important that increased demand is matched with responsible sourcing and certification.

PEFC Certification provides that assurance, giving confidence that materials are coming from forests that are managed sustainably.”

Stephen King, UK Project Manager at Swedish Wood, said: “This year’s learning journey demonstrated the capacity of the structural timber supply chain to deliver world class homes.

Wood is renewable, natural, carbon-storing and versatile, and is the perfect material for promoting excellence in construction and innovation.”

Industry perspective on delivery and capacity

Andrew Orriss, CEO of the Structural Timber Association, said: “It was our pleasure to show Britain’s biggest mortgage lenders and housebuilders the well-established structural timber supply chain we have in Scotland.

Scotland builds faster, greener, and more efficiently than England. And the reason is timber frame. These high-quality homes meet higher energy and carbon standards, reduce on-site risks and boost build speed.

As an industry we look forward to working with housebuilders and lenders to deliver more homes at pace across the UK.”

Chris Gaze of the Future Homes Hub added: “We were delighted to work in partnership with the STA on this brilliant opportunity to see and understand the structural timber supply chain, in Scotland, where the use of structural timber is the norm.

Our mission at the Hub is to facilitate the collaboration needed to support sustainable housing growth across the UK – and this visit showed how structural timber can be a key part of this.

The Future Homes Standard in England, is an important milestone on this journey, and we look forward to working right across industry to ensure housebuilders are ready for this fundamental shift.”

Manufacturing and construction insights

Simon Woods, European Sales, Marketing and Logistics Director at West Fraser, said: “Increasingly housebuilders are recognising the pivotal role timber panels play in the construction of timber frame homes and we were delighted to host the delegates at our flagship mill in Inverness, showcasing the production of our net carbon negative OSB panels.”

Andrew Francis, Commercial Director at James Jones & Sons, said: “We are fully set up to service the housebuilding market in light of new building regulations and environmental targets. And it was fantastic to demonstrate UK produced timber and engineered timber solutions, to the learning journey delegates.

The structural timber supply chain is well placed to help housebuilders deliver, faster and more reliably, the next generation of high-quality sustainable homes across the UK.”

Malcolm Thomson, Managing Director at Kirkwood Timber Frame, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the Structural Timber Association (STA), the Future Homes Hub (FHH) and a delegation of the UK’s leading homebuilders, to tour our state-of-the-art factory in Aberdeenshire.”