Independent benchmarking confirms Crest Nicholson as leader in developing sustainable communities
According to the latest NextGeneration benchmark survey unveiled this week, the UK’s housebuilders are responding well to the Government’s ‘Big Society’ sustainable community objectives. In particular, Crest Nicholson, which is currently delivering a mix of one and two bedroom apartments at BASE, in Brentwood, has for the third year running emerged as one of the leaders at the top of the annual rankings.
NextGeneration is an independent review that aims to drive best practice by encouraging the residential sector to embrace more sustainable design and delivery. The benchmarking process puts Crest Nicholson, along with the rest of the UK’s top 25 home builders, under the spotlight of the Homes and Communities Agency and WWF-UK to review the sector’s progress in creating sustainable communities.
Over the last few years housebuilders have focused on the environmental issues associated with sustainability, such as energy and carbon reduction, however developers also play a vital role in creating sustainable communities, both within the developments they create and within the wider community. It is against this backdrop that the 2010 benchmark has focused on sustainable communities, a concept that recognises the wider role of social and economic issues in delivering sustainable development.
In this year’s NextGeneration survey Crest Nicholson was commended for its focus on creating integrated and cohesive public environments, with the provision of open space and community facilities serving to instil a wider sense of social and community engagement within a development.
Chief Executive of Crest Nicholson, Stephen Stone, said: “Creating integrated and sustainable communities forms a core part of our business strategy, and we place a great deal of emphasis on the role that urban planning plays in encouraging a genuinely sustainable community to emerge within any new development. Community cohesion and quality of environment are both factors that purchasers are increasingly taking into account, and the fact that we have recently achieved an outstanding average customer satisfaction score of 90% is testament to the way in which we have responded to that demand, not only in building quality new homes, but in creating an environment in which people genuinely want to live.”
Annette Cole, Sales and Marketing Director at Crest Nicholson Eastern added: “Purchasers are looking for new homes that tick every box, and quality of design, sensitive integration and management of public realm are all essential considerations in terms of creating a place where people want to live. In this respect BASE is proving to be a particularly popular option, and the community ethos that is emerging here has been a significant factor in terms of attracting new buyers.”
BASE comprises a mix of one and two bedroom apartments with spacious, open-plan living. Many homes benefit from a balcony as well as large windows which fill the rooms with light and bring the ‘outside in’. Homes include fully fitted kitchens that feature a comprehensive range of integrated Bosch appliances including a fridge/freezer and washer dryer.
The development is located just 300m from Brentwood train station, which provides fast and efficient links into London Liverpool Street in less than 40 minutes. In addition, the development is just a short walk from the retail and leisure facilities in Brentwood, which include a wide range of bars, cafes and restaurants as well as major high street shops.
Prices at BASE start from £176,500 for a one bedroom apartment and from £223,500 for a two bedroom apartment. For further information about BASE, please contact the sales and marketing suite on 0870 757 8384 or visit www.crestnicholson.com/base.
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For further information about Crest Nicholson contact:
Laura Greene T: 020 7025 7581 E: laura.greene@grayling.com
Phoebe Campbell T: 020 7478 7812 E: phoebe.campbell@grayling.com
About Crest Nicholson
Crest Nicholson is firmly established as a leading regeneration developer with a passion for not just building homes, but creating vibrant sustainable communities. The Company’s track record shows demonstrable commitment to delivering innovative, design led, residential developments and large scale, mixed use, urban regeneration solutions. Its ongoing emphasis on environmentally responsible housing and commitment to deliver truly low carbon sustainable schemes is evident by an ever increasing development portfolio. Visit www.crestnicholson.com.
About NextGeneration
NextGeneration was launched in 2006 building on the success of the Insight Investment and WWF sustainability benchmarking exercises of the industry (undertaken in 2004 and 2005) and to expand the reach and ownership of the benchmarks.
Set up as a multi-stakeholder initiative, NextGeneration aims to drive best practice in sustainability into the heart of the residential sector by encouraging the industry itself to develop and deliver more sustainable homes. It is a platform which enables developers to both identify the sustainability-related risks to their business and develop a good understanding of how best to address the related opportunities.
For the 2010 benchmark, NextGeneration has been supported and directed by WWF-UK and the Homes and Communities Agency through their role on the Executive Committee. Upstream Sustainability Services at Jones Lang LaSalle acts as the secretariat to the initiative, carrying out the analysis for the benchmarking and delivering a range of services to NextGeneration members.
The unique output of NextGeneration is the production of an annual benchmark of the UK’s top 25 homebuilders. The 2009 benchmark focussed on the industry’s approach to overall corporate sustainability while the 2010 benchmark has taken a topic-specific approach, following on from the success of the 2008 benchmark that focussed on climate change.