Construction activity to fall significantly in 2026

Construction activity to fall significantly in 2026
by Jennie Ward|27 July 26|Build, Supply
The CPA’s forecast for construction output has been downgraded further in its Summer forecast, published today, due to the lagged impacts of the Middle East conflict that are starting to pass through to both the demand and cost sides of the UK economy. Construction output year-to-date so far in 2026...
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Confidence and rising costs remain challenging, says first-ever TDUK Market Briefing
by Jennie Ward|03 July 26|Build, Statistics, Supply
Timber Development UK (TDUK) has published its first-ever Market Briefing, bringing together economic analysis, market data and insight from businesses across the supply chain to provide a detailed picture of the issues shaping the timber industry during the first half of 2026. Drawing on contributions from timber merchants, sawmills, manufacturers and...
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Chemical Testing in Practice: What It Means for Timber Companies
by Lucy Bedry|12 June 26|Supply, Sustainability
As regulatory expectations increase and supply chains face greater scrutiny, timber companies are under pressure to demonstrate that harvest origin claims are robust. Documentation, certification and supplier engagement remain central to due diligence systems. But increasingly, companies are exploring scientific tools to add an additional layer of verification. One of...
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Fieldwork In Cameroon: Building The Foundations for Timber Chemical Origin Testing
by Lucy Bedry|20 March 26|Sustainability
Key takeaways for TDUK members Short on time? Read the key takeaways below, or scroll down for the full explainer on how chemical origin testing becomes reliable and usable in practice, starting with field sampling Why this matters In June 2025, field teams working with the Zoological Society of London...
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Carbon study establishes a data-driven path to net zero for UK housebuilders
by Jennie Ward|01 December 25|Build, Supply, Sustainability
The Future Homes Hub has released its Whole Life Carbon (WLC) Benchmarking Study for 2025, a report that aims to address a critical knowledge gap in the UK homebuilding industry. For the first time, this study provides empirically grounded evidence on the embodied carbon performance of new low-rise housing -...
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The outlook for global sawmilling – balancing supply and demand
by Jennie Ward|13 November 25|Build, Supply
At the Timber Development UK Global Market Conference, Markus Henningsson of SCA delivered a detailed picture of global sawmilling trends and what they could mean for the timber sector in 2026. His presentation, Can the UK Meet Demand?, explored the supply and demand balance across key regions, from North America to...
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CPA Autumn Forecast predicts slower growth next year
by Jennie Ward|27 October 25|Build, Statistics, Supply
The Construction Products Association (CPA) has released its Autumn 2025 construction forecast, which says total construction output is forecast to grow by 1.1% in 2025 and 2.8% in 2026 - a significant revision down from the 1.9% in 2025 and 3.7% in 2026 outlined in the previous forecast. Firms across the...
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Construction output shows slight summer growth despite ongoing challenges
by Jennie Ward|23 October 25|Build, Statistics, Supply
Total construction output grew by 0.3% in the three months to August 2025, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), reflecting a modest improvement despite continued volatility across the wider construction industry. Over the same period, UK GDP also increased slightly, suggesting that while growth...
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Latest pallet figures highlight strong reuse trend
by Jennie Ward|23 October 25|Build, Supply
The wooden pallet industry is continuing to drive reuse in UK supply chains, according to latest annual market figures. The 2024 UK Wood Pallets & Packaging Market, an independent study commissioned jointly by the Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON) and the Forestry Commission, shows that pallet reuse is continuing its...
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Tropical forest landscape in Cameroon, one of the world’s key timber-producing regions.
What is Chemical Testing?
by Lucy Bedry|07 October 25|Sustainability
Chemical Testing: A science-led tool for verifying timber origins  Timber is a material we all rely on – from the floors in our homes to the furniture we use every day. But behind every wooden product is a forest, and knowing exactly where that timber was harvested is essential for...
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