SUTTON COLDFIELD: SCA Timber yesterday celebrated 10 years of Timber Training in an event that brought together merchants with representatives from BRE and the Forestry Commission.

"Timber and biofuel are both still small areas in the minds of the paper giants," said SCA managing director Rob Simpson, "

Ian Tubby of the Forestry Commission Spoke of waste in the UK woodlands. "There are woodlands that used to be managed, but have been managed in over 50 years," he said. "The Forestry Commission is trying to make use of that proportion of woodland that not being otherwise used, and persuading woodland owners to sell for timber."

He went on to say: "But one of the issues is the public perception of managed forests is that it means unsustainable deforestation."

Dr Peter Bonfield of the BRE took a look at 'how we build tomorrows buildings today' using the BRE Innovation Park and some of the Olympic stadia to illustrate. "There is a lot of change happening and materials have gone right up the priority list," he said. "Sustainability is no longer an add-on, it has become a central part of building considerations."

He went on to encourage merchants to take the lead: "If you wait for customers to ask, you'll be waiting a very long time, so what is the merchant doing to promote the growth of sustainable products?"

There was a diverse representation of merchants who helped devour the celebratory cake, from big nationals Jewson and Buildbase through to independents such as Derby Timber Supplies and Beers Timber and Building Supplies.

The event took place at New Hall in Sutton Coldfield, the oldest moated building in the UK, which boasts oak panelling that has been in situ since Henry VIII visited.