Creating Value and Community Building

Creating value for society

Key issues

Affordable homes

We have been leading the way for private developer provision of affordable homes (homes built for registered social landlords or as part of Key Worker programmes) in the UK since becoming the first company to deliver affordable homes under the Government’s £250m Starter Home Initiative. We were also the first to receive Housing Corporation accreditation for a national range of affordable housing designs. We have embraced the requirement to provide affordable housing, which now features on the majority of our developments.

Our affordable housing developments are sought after by housing associations because of our reputation for delivering a quality product, indistinguishable from private sector homes. This reputation puts us in the fortunate position of partnering only those housing associations that have a reputation for active, quality management.

Urban regeneration

Urban regeneration is a significant and growing part of our business, transforming areas of land that are derelict and sometimes contaminated into desirable places to live. Through development of brownfield land we preserve and regenerate the UK’s scarce land resources and have a positive effect on the local environment and communities. During 2007, 68 per cent of the homes we completed in the UK were built on brownfield land. One aspect of regeneration is the clean up of contaminated sites in order that they can be used for residential and commercial uses; wherever possible we conduct these operations in a sustainable manner, recycling materials on site and supporting innovative remediation technologies that remove or make safe the contamination.


Performance

During 2006 we commenced work on Telford Millennium Community, a 35-hectare brownfield site. The site was formerly a colliery and is now a major regeneration project. Plans for the development include up to 800 sustainable, high quality homes, at least 25 per cent of which will be affordable, and associated community, education and commercial facilities. The development is one of seven Millennium Communities identified by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, as part of the Millennium Communities programme, initiated by English Partnerships in 1997

The Botanic, Manchester will comprise over 200 apartments, which are due to go on sale in early 2007. The development will boast innovatively designed homes integrated with mature tree areas. The Botanic is part of the New Islington Millennium Community, a 29-acre waterside site, just east of Manchester city centre, which is being radically transformed to a strategic and ambitious vision created by Will Alsop. The development, due to launch in early 2007 is also one of the seven Millennium Communities.

Our Construction business also undertakes regeneration projects and is currently working with Sandwell Homes to deliver a five-year package of repairs and improvements to more than 30,000 homes across six towns in the West Midlands.

We have contributed to local communities through section 106 agreements both by direct payment and also by carrying out infrastructure and other works for Local Authorities. We also construct affordable homes on the vast majority of our developments. Whilst we do not fully control the scale of section 106 payments, as these are negotiated with local authorities, the projects to which the money is put have significant beneficial impacts on local communities. Our contributions have been used for a variety of uses such as education, sport and youth facilities, healthcare and other services, transport improvements and environmental projects.

Community building

Policy/Strategy

We are committed to:

• Being a responsible corporate citizen and serving the community by providing products and services efficiently and profitably, and by providing employment opportunities;
• Contributing to the economic well-being and social development of the communities where we conduct our business;
• Safeguarding and enhancing local environments within the communities in which we operate;
• Encouraging our people to participate in community and civic affairs.

Key issues

We aim to enhance the economic prosperity of the communities in which we operate through the employment of local people and suppliers wherever appropriate.

We provide the mechanism for all our employees to involve themselves in the local communities where they work, either through volunteer activities in local organisations and charities or by participating in local business groups and educational establishments in sharing knowledge and experience.


Performance

Community consultation - we embrace community consultation, believing that a robust engagement can achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. As trust evolves and the community has an informed understanding of the proposals and how they impact on their lives, a co-operative framework can be established for the discussion of planning related matters. In order to achieve a consistent approach in this key subject, we have developed community consultation best practice guidelines for use by our teams.

Our development at Wichelstowe is designed to provide a highly sustainable community. 4,500 homes are being designed to EcoHomes ‘very good’ standard (225 to ‘excellent’ standard). The project has also been recognised by Government as a best practice development for community consultation. We approached 80,000 people, held 22 workshops, developed a website, and continue now post-planning with community liaison workshops etc. Wichelstowe is also in the Government and CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) initiative for nine best practice Design Code exercises. Sustainable master planning and design is often under-appreciated as a sustainability issue, influencing the quality of life for residents now and in the future.

Community Development Trusts – we have been responsible for the management of commercial, retail, mixed use and purely residential estates for many years and are leading the industry in establishing vehicles to take on the wider issues now relating to new developments. Our experience includes forming a number of Community Development Trusts (CDTs), outsourcing the management and ceding the community areas and assets to third parties. 

We established and part-funded the Community Development Trust at our Grand Union Village development in Northolt. The Trust has enabled residents to become actively involved in the creation and management of community facilities provided at the site. The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone have applauded the development, Ken Livingstone said: ’’GUV is a model development, a template that I would urge other developers to follow. It’s a remarkable example of what can be done when we work together’’. The development was recognised with a Princes Foundation Award in February 2007 for creating a community design that has helped to improve the quality of life for the people who live there.