Dream homes perfectly designed with the environment in mind.
Looking after the environment is paramount to us, it’s part of who we are and our ways of working, which you can see expressed in many different ways. As an ethical business we value integrity, safety and respect and we bring these values amongst others into our environmental practices.
How we achieve this.
No matter where the location, we’re committed to sustainable ways of working – from our conservation and biodiversity work through to our locally sourced materials.
Innovative solutions.
Energy efficiency
All our homes are designed with energy efficiency in mind. It means they come fitted with energy efficient boilers, a state-of-the-art HIVE smart system, and improved levels of fabric thermal efficiency including walls, glazing, floors and roofs.
We’re also one of the first housing developers to install car charging points at some of our newer developments to support the uptake of electric vehicles and make greener living practical and convenient for our homeowners.
Connecting communities.
Design
We use designs and materials sympathetic to the local area to help create developments that blend perfectly with the local community. This includes interesting street scenes and specially commissioned artwork, as well as features such as rendering, tile hanging, stone corbelling, slate roofing, dormers, bay frontages, and a mix of buff and red bricks.
Transport
We understand that building new developments and creating new communities will impact the local transport network, so we take every opportunity to invest in and promote public transport. Over the years, improvements have included a new roundabout and new link roads to help improve the connectivity of our developments. We also incorporate plenty of walking and cycling routes in the design of our developments and have recently started providing cycle parking with dwellings.
Aiding the ecosystem.
Nature
We strive to offset some of the environmental impact of our building work by planting parks, trees and ponds around our developments to attract wildlife and help it flourish.
In 2021/22, we planted 1,650 new trees, 6,650m of hedging, protected over 5,600m of mature hedgerow and provided just over 43 acres of open spaces, including equipped and unequipped play areas, pitches, informal planted open spaces, community orchards, balancing ponds and incidental open spaces.
We also install bat and bird boxes, along with specifically designed barn owl houses to protect and encourage wildlife and to create semi-rural settings and attractive environments to our homeowners.
Recycling & reducing waste
Working closely with TAB Morris in Leicester, we’re recycling more waste products than ever before.
Every development we build includes its own site waste management plan so we know the amount and type of waste that will be produced and how we can reuse, recycle or dispose of it as efficiently as possible.
Water
We also work with local suppliers to recycle more waste products and provide low pressure water use equipment including toilets, taps and showers to save on water.
Adequate water attenuation and sustainable urban drainage to reduce the risk of downstream flooding is carefully considered at the design stage.
Helping the local community.
Employment & skills
Sustainable crafts, skills and trades are a key focus for us as a company, as is nurturing young talent so there’s a constant pipeline of skilled joiners, carpenters bricklayers, plumbers and electricians to build tomorrow’s new homes. That’s why we work closely with councils, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), employment organisations, schools, colleges, sub-contractors and suppliers to engage young people and the local community during construction.
Locally sourced materials
To reduce our carbon footprint, we source materials and labour locally as much as possible. That’s why 68% of our materials come from suppliers based in Leicestershire along with 53% of subcontractors, with a total of 87% coming from the broader East Midlands area. Our strong local network also includes a 25-year partnership with Leicester-based SGP Architects, designing sites and house types, from initial layouts to construction drawings.
ESG
A Commitment to our Planet, Places, People and Principles.
Our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Framework provides a holistic overview of our steadfast commitment to improving the communities and environment in which we build and operate.