South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

Ropetackle in Shoreham-by-Sea, East Sussex, is a mixed-use development with both residential and business space. It incorporates a range of sustainability measures including renewable energy technology, wildlife features such as swift boxes and facilities for community integration. These attributes were included with the aid of the Sustainability Checklist for Developments in the South East. Developed by SEEDA, it re inforces the priority the agency assigns to sustainable development.

For construction projects to contribute to sustainable development, key issues need to be addressed including: mixed-use design, energy efficiency, renewable energy, water use, transport and social well-being. The Checklist aims to ensure that all construction industry players recognise the impact of new developments on natural resources, ecology and energy. It offers a common framework for all developments and allows sustainability to be understood in an everyday sense, encouraging the industry to factor key aspects into the fledgling design and planning stages.

Following the launch in July 2003, a pilot study for SEEDA by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) involving eight companies and two local authorities showed that developers and architects are using the Checklist successfully to quantify how they are embracing the sustainability agenda. Planning authorities are using it to assess development proposals and champion sustainability.

A series of sub-regional training courses has also been to promote the Checklist to a wider audience of construction industry professionals. SEEDA's £80,000 investment to date has added further value by assisting both the World Wildlife Fund UK and BRE to build a national standard and by encouraging other RDAs to adopt the checklist framework.

www.sustainability-checklist.co.uk or contact martinbolton@seeda.co.uk.

The latest press release regarding the Sustainability Checklist can be found here.