UK faces timber supply squeeze without higher softwood planting, agencies warn

The UK could face a tightening supply of construction timber within the next 10 to 15 years unless domestic tree planting increases, particularly of productive softwood species, according to a joint warning from the chairs of Natural England and the Forestry Commission, highlighted recently in The Times. The agencies estimate that the UK currently imports around 80% of the wood it consumes, making it one of the world’s largest net importers of forest products. Data referenced in the analysis shows the UK ranks as the second-largest importer of wood products globally, underlining the scale of its exposure ...