Cumbria Timber Transport Group

Cumbria timber transport group formed.

Over twenty people turned up for a meeting at the AW Jenkinson Truckstop, Penrith, before Christmas, where it was agreed to set up a timber transport group to cover Cumbria.

The group will provide a forum for improving communication between the forestry sector, timber processors, hauliers and the local authority, leading to more sustainable use of the road network for timber haulage. The group will be chaired initially by Richard Scott, logistics manager for BSW Timber. The first meeting will be held in February 2010.

Comparable groups are already active in neighbouring North Yorkshire and Dumfries & Galloway, as well as, across the forested regions of Scotland and Wales.  In many areas, preferred routes for timber haulage have been agreed, directing timber traffic onto the most appropriate roads and allowing councils to identify priority areas for road improvements and maintenance.

Roland Stiven, the project officer for the Timber Transport Forum, welcomed the decision, saying, ‘ Experience in other parts of the country has shown that timber transport groups are an effective way of ensuring that the wood from our productive forests can continue to be brought to market  with the minimum of impact on the roads and on rural communities.'