Climate change is an unprecedented challenge which requires urgent global action to sustain growth and prosperity. The benefits of early action and the cost of inaction are widely understood. At Countryside Properties we recognise the fundamental importance of delivering sustainable development in creating new homes, workplaces and communities that will be valued and enjoyed by people today, and for generations to come.
With the nation's homes producing at least 27% of total UK carbon emissions and the resource intensive nature of the development industry, the longer term imperative to progress towards a more sustainable built environment continues and will not change regardless of current highly challenging market conditions. Indeed, the Government’s increased commitment to the sustainability agenda through the 80% target reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, and the targets for all new homes to be zero-carbon from 2016, and new non-domestic development to be zero-carbon by 2019, sets an unparalleled challenge for our industry.
Policy and regulation
The current policy and regulatory framework within which we plan, design and deliver new homes, work places and communities has continued to change and evolve. The policy context is complex and multi-layered and includes: European, international, national, regional and local policy, codes and targets; building regulations and building assessment standards.
We are continuing to innovate to meet the changes that are now demanded in response to climate change and the broader sustainability agenda. However, the plethora of overlapping policy and regulation means that there is an increasing burden placed upon the industry which makes it more difficult to meet the requirements in a responsible, measured and cost-effective way. Government and its advisers need to develop focussed and cohesive regulation which will encourage developers to create the sustainable built environment of our common future. It also needs to communicate clearly to influence and inform behavioural change in society.
Key challenges
The three key challenges that the development sector and the Government faces in the delivery of sustainable communities are affordability, sustainability and deliverability. The credit crunch has caused an exceptional decline in new housing production in 2008 and as a result the undersupply of new housing, which has been a feature of the market for many years, continues to worsen. The sustainability and affordability targets set out by the Government will be even more difficult to achieve given the economic challenges the country and the industry now face. However, our experience of trading through economic recessions in the mid 1970’s, early 1980's and 1990’s, and our ability to change and adapt has been, and continues to be, helpful in our response to the present situation.
A leader in sustainability
Countryside Properties has been a leader in sustainable development for many years. It is one of our core values and we have learnt much from our experience. Our approach to development is entrepreneurial, innovative and responsible and seeks to create added value principally through high quality design and place making. We have developed many projects where this has been achieved, and it was extremely satisfying when Accordia in Cambridge received the highly prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize 2008. Indeed, it is the first ever residential scheme to receive this most highly prized architectural accolade. We also hold nine CABE Building for Life awards which is more than any other private developer.
We acknowledge the importance, and the challenges, of balancing the complex range of social and community factors, popular aspirations and development economics. To help achieve this, our long-standing objective is for all our developments to be sustainable economically, socially and environmentally with a balanced mix of tenures, building typologies and densities. Indeed, the development industry and its advisers should guard against the delivery of mono-tenure estates in response to short-term needs, as this is not a sustainable policy option.
Future prospects
When housing and commercial property markets improve, as they inevitably will, the prospects for the more responsible developers will be considerable. The need and demand for more new homes and property is substantial, so there are good prospects in the medium and long-term for those that have the skills to create sustainable communities.
In the short-term there will be opportunities for developers such as ourselves to refine their business model to respond to opportunities that the growing shortfall in housing supply presents.
This is the eighth year that we have reported on our sustainability performance, which is longer than anyone in our peer group and demonstrates our unrivalled commitment to sustainable development. This Sustainability Report describes our progress against each of the actions and targets that we have set. It also gives details of our relevant policies and highlights our commitment to urban regeneration and the creation of sustainable communities with a number of case studies.
We hope that you find this report of interest and welcome your feedback.
Alan Cherry CBE DL
Chairman
12th February 2009
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Alan Cherry, Chairman
“No housing developer has done more, been as visionary, or so committed to sustainable design quality.”
Lord Rogers, Chairman, Rogers, Stirk, Harbour + Partners Ltd.
Space2, Bow, London
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Springhead Park, Ebbsfleet Valley, Kent