Timber-frame homes accounted for just 40,500 of the nearly 200,000 new houses built in England last year. Now, UK housebuilders are aiming to dramatically increase that number, with ambitions to return to levels of timber-framed construction not seen since the 1970s. According to a special report by Reuters, a shortage of skilled labour—combined with the push toward modern construction methods and environmentally sustainable materials—is prompting builders to give traditional timber-frame construction a second look.
In Oxfordshire, gigantic robotic arms controlled by artificial intelligence glide across a vast factory floor, clicking timber plates into place: “We’re seeing more major housebuilders and small and medium-sized builders embracing timber as a way to … overcome the skills and carbon challenge,” said Alex Goodfellow, CEO of Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS), who spoke to Reuters today.
DTS manufactures walls, floors, and roofs off-site, which are then delivered to developers for rapid assembly. Its automated production line in Witney, near Oxford, produces timber panelling for approximately 100 homes each week. Designs are entered digitally using AI, eliminating the need for paper drawings and streamlining the process.
According to Goodfellow, this method reduces construction time by around 10 weeks compared to traditional masonry. It also offers cost savings: a study by construction consultancy Rider Levett Bucknall found that timber construction is 2.8% cheaper than building with bricks or concrete blocks. Despite growing interest, England continues to lag behind other European nations in both timber usage and robotics adoption. The National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University reports that Britain is among the slowest adopters of robotics in construction.
However, times are changing with Wood Central last month reporting that 30% of the UK’s top contractors now have timber-frame factories – including Vistry and Taylor Wimpey who have either opened or plan to open timber-frame manufacturing facilities. Bellway, another, aims to use timber in a third of its housing projects by 2030.
Simon Park, head of sustainability at Bellway, underscored timber’s eco credentials: “Timber absorbs and stores more carbon than it emits,” he said, adding that Bellway’s internal analysis shows that breeze blocks—made from concrete—are the largest carbon emitters among common building materials.
However, timber’s green credentials are tempered by its reliance on imports. As it stands, around 80% of the timber used in the UK is sourced from abroad, primarily from European countries. By contrast, just 20% of the country’s brick supply is imported.
Mortgage availability for timber homes remains another hurdle. Riz Malik, a mortgage broker at R3 Wealth, said lending could improve if the government signals stronger support for timber construction. Whilst durability concerns have also dampened enthusiasm. Barratt Homes attempted to revive timber usage in the 1980s, but sales faltered due to fears of rot and fire risks.
Andrew Orriss of the Structural Timber Association insists those concerns have been addressed. “Modern building regulations and fire safety guidelines have resolved these issues,” he said. Orriss believes off-site timber construction could deliver up to a third of the government’s annual housing target—a level of output not seen since the 1970s. Meanwhile, the UK’s ageing workforce adds further urgency. About 20% of workers are over 50, and a quarter of those are expected to retire within the next decade, according to the Home Builders Federation. In June, the government pledged £40 million to support robotics adoption across various sectors. Yet Britain’s construction industry remains behind.
ING Bank estimates that in 2023, Europe had 1.5 robots per 10,000 construction workers, compared to 0.6 in the United States and just 0.5 in the UK. Frank O’Reilly, DTS’s manufacturing director, sees robotics not only as a solution to labour shortages but also as a way to attract younger talent. “It (the technology) encourages young people to consider this as a career,” he said.
- To learn more about the UK government’s plans to scale up timber in construction, including homegrown C16 softwood timbers, as a “fit-for-purpose solution” for engineered wood products, click here for Wood Central’s special feature from March 2025.
