Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS) has welcomed Charlie Maynard MP to its Witney manufacturing facility to discuss the role of offsite timber frame construction in meeting housebuilding targets.
The visit came following DTS’ investment of more than £10m at its Oxfordshire facility, which has increased offsite automation to scale up production and help deliver more high-quality, energy-efficient homes across the UK.
During the visit, Maynard was given a tour of the Witney site, which includes the most advanced automated pre-insulated closed panel wall production line in Europe. The visit provided an opportunity to see how DTS currently supports the delivery of private and affordable housing across the country, while demonstrating how the industry can help deliver 1.5 million new homes to meet Government targets.
Discussions included why offsite timber frame is the future of housebuilding in the UK and how the Government can use these resources to build more houses of better quality and to higher standards of energy efficiency and sustainability. They also covered how the offsite timber frame provides a solution to the well-documented skills and labour shortages.
Charlie Maynard MP said: “It’s interesting and there’s lots of ingenuity and lots determination here to say: ‘how can we do things better?’ We need more homes, and this is helping to do that.”
Donaldson Offsite CEO Alex Goodfellow said: “We were pleased to welcome Mr Maynard to our Witney site, and to have the opportunity to showcase the fantastic facilities and team we have here at Donaldson Timber Systems. We’re a family business with a long heritage, celebrating 50 years in business this year, while our parent company spans back to 1860. We have long championed the use of offsite timber frame construction as the best way to achieve efficiencies and sustainable building practices – and with the labour shortages in the UK, it’s the only way to achieve building 300,000 homes per year.
“Offsite timber frame is the future of UK housebuilding. It’s efficient, scalable, and tailored for current and future market challenges, including meeting next zero. It’s also tried, tested, and already widely used across the country. This is an exciting time for our industry, and we look forward to working more closely with Mr Maynard and his colleagues in Government to support in addressing the UK housing challenge.”
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Donaldson Timber Systems offers unrivalled experience and knowledge in offsite construction, operating from a network of manufacturing and technical centres across the UK. Earlier this year, the business was awarded the ‘Order of Distinction’ by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
Along with its health and safety credentials, Donaldson Timber Systems has also achieved a range of third-party quality approvals, delivering the confidence that Donaldson Timber Systems products are durable and comply with building regulations and technical standards.
