Wood procurement policy

Bellway’s aim is to ensure that all wood products used by the Company in the house building process originate from verified well-managed forests.

The cornerstone of this policy requires our suppliers to ensure that the timber supplied is produced in compliance with current laws and forest practice codes in the country concerned. Timber must not be taken from ancient forests or other high conservation value forests, unless the forest area is certified according to the Forest Stewardship Council’s principles and criteria or an equivalent system.

The following considerations guide our purchasing:

  • To ensure we produce a quality product for our customers, we fairly assess all purchased wood for its quality and check its point of origin.
  • We specify in orders and contracts that suppliers must provide evidence that timber and timber products have been lawfully obtained from forests or plantations that are being sustainably managed. Acceptable evidence can include Category A (third party, independent certification schemes such as Forestry Stewardship Council [FSC] and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification [PEFC]) and Category B evidence.
  • All suppliers are required to meet the demands of EU Timber Regulation (EUTR). Bellway is classified as a ‘trader’ under the EUTR and we meet our obligations through the maintenance of records relating to our purchase of timber and timber product.
  • This policy has been communicated to all Bellway’s timber suppliers. Bellway will continue to review its procurement policy in-line with its commitment to continue enhancing its environmental management systems.
  • We also look to address the sustainability of wood based products and the majority of paper and stationery used in the business is certified to FSC or PEFC standard.