Timber factory gets green light in Falkirk

An application lodged by Alexander Anderson on Monday, June 7 last year to construct a general industrial building, including an office, showroom and gatehouse on land to the south of 127 David’s Loan, Ivanhoe Drive, Abbotsford Business Park, Falkirk was granted permission by Falkirk Council on Monday, June 6 this year.

The factory will be operated by Stewart Milne Timber Systems Ltd (SMTS) and, according to the planning documents, the company requires a new facility to cope with demand as people look for more environmentally friendly house building methods and materials.

The documents stated: “It has long been our belief the growth in timber frame will continue at a steady pace for the accepted reasons of availability, market capacity, reduced onsite resources and speed of build.

“As a result, we believe that this additional drive for low carbon, energy efficient buildings that adopting Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) at the same time will increase the demand for MMC Qualifying/Low Carbon’ methods of construction.

"We have developed a simplified semi-automated manufacturing system in Abbotsford that is a ‘fit for purpose upgrade’ on our existing methods in Aberdeen.”

Established in 1975, Aberdeen-based SMTS is a UK pioneer in timber frame technology and manufacturing, operating throughout the country from three manufacturing plants in Aberdeen, Witney and the new facility in Falkirk.

At the end of last year the Donaldson Group acquired this timber frame manufacturing division of Stewart Milne Group.