Sustainability Policy
Barratt Developments PLC is one of the UK's largest housebuilders, operating across all sectors of the market with a full range of product from family homes, first time buyer apartments to pioneering urban regeneration schemes. We provide housing across all tenures from private, buy to let, shared equity to social rent and operate under many development structures including as sole developer, joint venture partner, client and contractor. Through our commercial operations we aim to deliver sustainable solutions across the retail, commercial and warehousing sectors of the market.
Our ambition is to be recognised as the nation's leading housebuilder, creating communities where people aspire to live. We believe that conducting our operations sustainably is an essential part of that ambition, so we strive to ensure that we consider the social, environmental and economic impact of our actions throughout our decision making processes.
Our approach to sustainable business is integrated into everything we do and we will actively encourage our people to play their part, whatever their role in the business. This is requiring new solutions to challenges and will require innovative thinking to achieve our ambitions.
This policy sets out the principles behind our approach to sustainability in the form of four key philosophies.
Planet – We will respect today's environment while creating tomorrow's communities. We seek to do this by:
- improving the design of our homes and developments so that we deliver high quality sustainable places to live;
- reducing our impact on the environment, both during and post construction, from the use of energy, water, materials, and the creation of waste;
- enhancing the ecology and biodiversity of our developments by protecting existing assets and introducing relevant new habitats and species;
- maximising our opportunities to remediate land and regenerate communities;
- creating accessible developments that integrate with existing communities and thereby minimise their traffic and transport impact;
- ensuring that robust arrangements are put in place so that public realm and communal areas are well maintained following the completion of developments.
Partners – We will work with a network of local, regional and national partners and stakeholders to deliver our own sustainability ambitions, whilst helping them achieve theirs. We seek to do this by:
- promoting long-term relationships with our partners based upon transparency, honesty and integrity;
- ensuring mutually beneficial long-term relationships with our subcontractors, suppliers and consultants which deliver sustainable solutions;
- engaging openly with local and national government, supporting their initiatives to deliver their sustainability aspirations;
- working closely with our public sector and housing association partners to deliver mixed communities with housing types and tenures for people in diverse circumstances;
- listening to local communities so that their views are incorporated into how we design and deliver developments; and
- improving the quality of life and economic prosperity of the communities and individuals we serve.
People – We aim to attract and retain the best people from all walks of life, providing a positive working environment that encourages them to fulfil their potential. We seek to do this by:
- providing a working environment that is open, honest and fair, allowing every individual to make a difference;
- encouraging and supporting everyone to achieve their best through a focus on continuous development;
- setting high standards for safety at work by ensuring systems are in place to protect the health and wellbeing of our people, partners and customers; and
- promoting healthy lifestyles amongst our people.
Customers – We will understand our customers' needs and aim to delight them throughout their journey with us, promoting sustainability every step of the way, creating customers for life. We will do this by:
- listening to our customers needs, treating each one with respect and providing the highest standards of service and quality as well as value for money;
- bringing home ownership to as many people as possible through the provision of a wide range of home designs, innovative financial products and working in partnership with mortgage providers;
- using industry leading expertise and skills to design innovative and sustainable homes where people aspire to live; and
- help our customer's to appreciate the benefits of sustainable homes and encourage them to get the most out of them through sustainable living.
This Sustainability Policy has been approved by the Board of Barratt Developments PLC and will be reviewed annually.
Signed Mark Clare, Group Chief Executive
July 2012