TIMBER
CE MARKING RECOGNITION EXTENDED INTO 2025
The UK government has announced an extension of the CE marking scheme in Great Britain. David Hopkins, CEO of Timber Development UK, explains what this means.
T
he UK’s recognition of CE marking on construction products was due to end across Great Britain on June 30, 2025. However, the UK government has now announced an extension to the scheme beyond this date, ending years of uncertainty for the construction industry. Back in January 2020, when the UK exited the European Union, the then-UK government said recognition of CE marked products would end ‘in the shortest time possible’, and that the UK would develop its own marking system known as UK Conformity Assured (UKCA). However, in the years since, the new legislation required to support this change was not introduced, and recognition for many products outside of construction materials were extended indefinitely.
Until now, recognition of the CE marking of construction products was still due to end on June 30 2025, but this has now been extended for at least two years as part of a
that would be required were CE recognition to end. We are also clear that ending recognition of CE marking without reforming the domestic regime would create trade barriers and negatively affect the supply of products that meet recognised standards.
planned system-wide reform of construction product regulations.
Rushanara Ali, MP for Bethnal Green and Stepney, and Parliamentary Under Secretary for Building Safety and Homelessness, announced the extension in a statement on September 2, 2024.
She said: “We have listened to the findings from the Independent Review of the Construction Products Testing Regime. It was clear that there is currently insufficient testing and certification capacity in the UK alone to provide the volume of conformity assessment
Ali said this extension was conditional on the government committing to system-wide reform of the construction products regulatory regime, and that recommendations from the Grenfell Inquiry report would also be taken into account. Any changes subsequently made to the CE marking system would be subject to a minimum two-year transitional period to give the industry time to plan ahead. The UKCA mark will remain a valid and accepted regulatory mark, sitting alongside CE marking until further notice, and timber and builders’ merchants can use be assured that both products remain valid symbols of conformity to all relevant safety, health and environmental requirements and legislation. David Hopkins, CEO of Timber Development UK, said: “We welcome the government’s decision, and in particular the announcement of the two-year transitional period to give manufacturers, suppliers and merchants sufficient time to adjust to any future changes. “We have long been calling for the government to provide the clarity the needed, and this decision gives all concerned time to create a regulatory system that is truly fit for purpose, without creating barriers to trade both into and out of Great Britain.” BMJ
FROM ‘WASTE WOOD’ TO ‘MASS TIMBER’. CASCADEUP
PILOT TO PREMIERE AT LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL A groundbreaking research project is set to make its global debut at London Design Festival from 18 to 21 September at the OXO Tower Courtyard and Platform.
C
ascadeUp is the first building-scale demonstration of a glulam and cross- laminated timber (CLT) structure which has been created entirely out of waste timber from demolition. The 3.5-metre high, 2.5-metre wide and 2-metre deep modular structure was designed by University College London’s Circular Economy Lab and UK CLT to provide a stage to share planet-saving ideas.
“We can’t solve the climate crisis without transforming our built environment,” says Dr Colin Rose, an architect, Senior Research Fellow at UCL and Founding Partner of UK CLT, who has led on the project. CascadeUp fully embraces circularity – taking wood which would be chipped
and downcycled or sent to the incinerator and instead remanufacturing it to make a sustainable alternative to high-carbon structural products such as concrete, steel and brick.
October 2024
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
“Taken at scale, this is an approach that can boost local economies and drive new employment in reclamation and manufacturing sectors close to urban areas.” The project is the first of its kind to test this approach to the manufacture of wood-based panels and beams from reused, solid timber and assemble it at building-scale - which can provide a way to extend wood’s ability to store carbon over the long-term
Visitors to the pilot will have the opportunity to view the structure and learn more about its design and construction, material properties and scalability, and environmental benefits. The project has been carried out in partnership with Portakabin, and with the support of a range of other supporters. BMJ
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