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Developers Urged to 'See the Light' 23 January 2007 Crest Nicholson leads South East housebuilders in backing new online Housebuilders have a duty to create high quality, sustainable developments – but a commitment to sustainability is not just about social or environmental responsibility; it is also about competitiveness and market differentiation. That was the message from the Chief Executive of Crest Nicholson, Stephen Stone, at a conference in Gatwick held by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to explain the benefits of the revised and updated 'Checklist South East', an easy to use online tool for sustainable development. "For developers, a genuine commitment to sustainability can have a positive impact on the bottom line", Stephen Stone told an audience of 160 developers and local authority planners from across the South East. "It's not tree huggers and eco-warriors – it's about creating great places that are great to live in, and are future-proof. Progressive housebuilders have already recognized this and embraced the sustainability agenda, but others have yet to see the light." He said that the Checklist had already proved to be "a vital management tool" for Crest Nicholson. "The Checklist is about adopting good practice and making it easier to embed sustainability into each of our developments." Crest Nicholson had used the original Checklist to good effect in the past two years, he said, and the company was "looking forward to using the new, updated product." Mr Stone cited recent schemes in Surrey where the Checklist had played a critical role – for example the mixed-use redevelopment of the former DERA site at Chertsey, which had placed a strong emphasis on the site's ecology, and a smaller, zero-carbon, housing development at West Molesey, which, thanks to the Checklist, achieved "a good balance between environmental, social and economic needs." Crest Nicholson's enthusiasm for the Checklist was echoed by the Chief Executive of Ashford Borough Council, David Hill, who described the Checklist as "an essential tool in shaping Ashford's core strategy for the development plan, and as part of our sustainability appraisals." Ashford, he explained, had adopted a strategic approach to delivering sustainability, undertaking an ecological footprint study and creating a "Green & Blue Grid" to manage the town's green spaces and water resources. The Checklist had helped shaped this approach, including the Council's commitment to sustainable energy, waste management and achieving a modal shift in transport. The aspiration, Mr Hill said, was to deliver carbon-neutral development. Chief Executive of the South East England Regional Assembly, Paul Bevan, reinforced the importance of the Checklist to achieving national and regional objectives. "The Checklist will support the sustainability objectives in the South East Plan", he told the conference. The region needed "high quality development that makes best use of natural resource" Head of the Sustainable Communities Team at BRE, Lynne Ceeney, who created the Checklist for the region, explained that it had been designed for mainstream developments and was "not just aimed at the exemplars". The Checklist, she said, would assist all developers to understand what is expected of developments in the region, and how sustainable their design proposals are relative to this. "It will help local planning authorities to ensure that all developments work towards the sustainability aspirations of the South East Plan." SEEDA Board member Imtiaz Farookhi, who is also Chief Executive of the National House Builders Confederation (NHBC), explained that sustainability was central to SEEDA's vision for the South East and a key pillar of the Regional Economic Strategy. The Checklist, he said, was critical to SEEDA's attainment of its goals. SEEDA funded and managed the production of the Checklist on behalf of regional partners. It can be viewed at www.checklistsoutheast.co.uk. |
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