Hackney has boldly announced a ‘WoodFirst’ policy consultation, not surprising considering that as a borough they house three of the UK’s largest timber buildings (Did you know that Canada, France and Slovenia already have such a policy?).

If the policy makes it through to the next stage, then it will surely be as ground breaking as the now historic Merton Rule that introduced the onsite renewable requirement to the UK planning process.

In our market-driven economy it is all too easy to sit back and wait for the market to drive change when perhaps what is actually needed is some good old fashioned neck-on-the-block leadership?