Morpeth, Northumberland (26th July, 2022)
Local MP Anne – Marie Trevelyan, Secretary of State for International Trade and MP for the Berwick- Upon – Tweed Constituency, met with representatives from local Forestry and Arboriculture experts TreeRunner to discuss the state of the Northumbrian Timber Market following the significant windblown damage seen across much of the county as a result of Storm Arwen.
(Left to right) Holly Winskell, TreeRunner Executive, Anne Marie Trevelyan Local MP, Freddy Winskell, TreeRunner Managing Director
It is estimated that around 1 million tonnes of timber was windblown in Northumberland following the devastation of Storm Arwen last November. Much of this timber has been losing weight, due to shortage of skilled Forestry providers, and an inability for local markets and certification bodies to reactively handle this mass influx of timber. Currently, timber mills can only accept 30% timber that is not certified as ‘sustainably sourced’. This certification is costly, and time consuming to achieve – yet windblown timber is by definition sustainably harvested, assuming affected areas are replanted which land owners have no legal obligation to do in these circumstances.
An example of the destruction caused by Storm Arwen on an estate in Northern Northumberland.
“We are working to create a Timber industry that is financially and environmentally sustainable. The impact of Storm Arwen and the resultant flooding of the Northumbrian Timber market has had a significant impact on the return on investment for many land owners and forestry workers in the region. This means it is likely that areas of windblown woodland will not be replanted and instead left to naturally regenerate with a significant impact on the future of our beloved Northumbrian Countryside, and indeed the environment generally” Freddy Winskell, Managing Director and Founder of TreeRunner.
As many Northumbrian Timber Mills struggle to source timber that has received approval as sustainable, windblown timber in the county are receiving prices that in some cases are half what was received last year. In many case sellers are forced to haul timber to the West, where very little windblown damage is seen, at great expense and with significant impact on the industries carbon footprint resulting in limited, if any return. This comes at a time when 80% of British Timber is imported and the construction industries face stark increases in the cost of sawn timber.
In conversation Anne- Maire echoed beliefs that reactive regulation coupled with sensible management could see our sector become an environmentally sustainable, self-sufficient, and highly productive industry with resilience in times of international uncertainty and resultant austerity. Anne- Marie now seeks to liaise with the Forestry Commission to establish how this could be achieved in such a way that protect land owners, forestry workers and members of the rural community from the losses windblown timber currently pose, and in doing so supports the future of the British Timber Industry and our Northumbrian Woodlands.
“It’s clear that correct management, and localisation of timber markets could create an industry that was not only self- sufficient but also environmentally positive. To achieve this we not only need reactive policies and accreditations systems, but also skilled and knowledgeable forestry workers to promote best practise management to maximize the financial and environmental opportunity that the British Timber Industry offers. ” Freddy Winskell, TreeRunner
Comments