Corporate responsibility
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FEATURED PROPERTY
Two Kingdom Street
Paddington
Progress report
Corporate
Targets for 2010
Establish biannual performance reporting to the Board and publish this information on our website.
2010 Progress
Reporting was improved through the Projects Board.
The nature of reporting (by exception) and the limitations of our website prevented us from publishing this information on our website.
Our key objectives are clarified within our briefing documents to external consultants. Our surveyors remain individually responsible for implementing policy. This has continued with the planning applications for Paddington-Central, Hammersmith Grove and Hale Barns.
Our surveyors tailor project strategy for project management, sustainable development, waste management and BREEAM to suit the specifics of the development and to accord with our objectives.
Targets for 2011
Improve our reporting structure further – surveyors shall report on CR matters to the Projects Board on all live development schemes by incorporating a written statement within their specific project reports.
Update and review our corporate website to include current objectives and policy.
Review our health and safety policies, including our internal handbook and HSE briefing documents for external consultants.
Review our project briefing document and standard consultant appointments to reflect current CR Policy.
Develop a ‘briefing document’ for our JV partners and Investment team.
Allocate a CR Co-ordinator internally to monitor our CR activities and review our targets annually.
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Environment
Targets for 2010
Implement BREEAM assessments for all office developments; plan to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating; achieve a minimum rating of ‘Very Good’.
To formally brief design teams on the importance of: energy efficient design; selection and specification of materials to minimise their environmental impact; use of pre-fabrication; production of a travel plan.
To formally brief construction teams on the importance of: minimising energy use and CO2 emissions; minimising transport use and CO2 emissions; minimising water use in construction; reduction, reuse and recycling of waste materials.
2010 Progress
A planning approval for the next phase of Paddington-Central is based on a design that seeks to achieve an Excellent BREEAM rating.
Our planning application for Hammersmith Grove is designed to achieve an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating.
Our planning application for Hale Barns is predominantly retail led with residential above. The retail shell units seek a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ target and the residential units will target a Code 4 Sustainable Homes accreditation.
The Premier Inn Hotel at West Quay, Southampton will achieve a ‘Very Good’ rating and may yet achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating with the assistance of the operator. The site is on contaminated, reclaimed land in the centre of the city. We have had an active waste management policy on site for the duration of the project and have recycled the concrete and reinforcements from the old structures that were grubbed up on site. A travel plan and employment strategy for the tenant will be drafted following consultation with the local authority.
Targets for 2011
Benchmark and reduce carbon emissions from all future developments, in advance of legislation, by working with our design and contracting teams on specifications and site management techniques.
Publish a written case study of one of our major developments highlighting the issues of socially responsible development.
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Employees & suppliers
Targets for 2010
Ensure the rigorous and consistent treatment of health and safety issues by improving on-site reporting and engagement with employees.
Operate a formal Board reporting process for workplace and site-based health and safety issues.
Ensure every major supplier understands our sustainability objectives and targets and achieves satisfactory performance.
2010 Progress
We have actively supported employees in their continuous personal and professional development including training courses, technical seminars, lectures and conferences.
We have held team building events for our site developments and encourage participation in risk and opportunity sessions with all our team members.
Our Health and Safety Officer reports on risks and maintains and distributes a health and safety handbook.
We continually assess our external team’s suitability to perform their Construction, Design and Management (CDM) duties.
All project surveyors now report to the Projects Board on health and safety matters, highlighting any reportable accidents, our response, record-keeping and lessons learned.
We conduct annual reviews with key suppliers to discuss their and our current business objectives, including corporate responsibility policies.
We appointed a ‘librarian’ to collate and distribute to our surveyors technical information received from external sources.
Targets for 2011
Extend health and safety reporting process to our joint venture partners and the main Board, through an obligation to report on any reportable accidents on our developments.
Review our internal and external HSE documentation.
Review our selection procedures for the appointment of the consultants that advise us on health, safety and environmental issues and CDM matters.
Ensure that every major supplier understands our sustainability objectives and targets and achieves satisfactory performance; review our Standard Briefing Document in March 2011.
Ensure that all new development projects have a ‘brief’ based around the Standard Brief Documentation.
Continue to maintain relations with our suppliers during periods of inactivity through a structured approach to communications.
Issue guidance notes to our JV partners and encourage them to adopt our objectives and targets.
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Community
Target for 2010
Instigate a post-completion review programme with local stakeholders at all major new developments within a year of project completion, to obtain feedback.
Identify and record key improvements at all major developments: open spaces, landscaping, community facilities and public art.
Actively seek opportunities to support youth programmes and educational initiatives.
2010 Progress
We continue to support local initiatives connected to our development sites. For example we helped to fund the refurbishment of a local school through our Two Kingdom Street project at PaddingtonCentral.
We have provided both financial and intellectual assistance to a wide range of charities supporting health, education and welfare initiatives.
We sponsored charitable activities by employees.
We held post-completion reviews of the last phase of PaddingtonCentral and our CityPark, Manchester scheme.
We support the programme at West Quay, Southampton for using local labour and providing educational experiences and presentations for local schools. We have also committed to draft an Employment and Skills Training Document for the occupier, Premier Inn.
Targets for 2011
Continue post-completion review programme with local stakeholders at all major new developments to obtain feedback within a year of completion, including at our hotel development in WestQuay Southampton.
Identify and record key improvements at all major developments including open spaces, landscaping, community facilities and public art.
Actively seek opportunities to support youth programmes and educational initiatives on our major developments.
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Investors
Targets for 2010
Aim to participate in a minimum of two sectoral debates or research programmes per year.
Actively seek to part-sponsor one or two research projects and initiatives beneficial to our work each year.
2010 Progress
We have supported a real estate education programme at Reading University and published our ‘Quality of Life’ report.
We financially contribute to British Council for Officers, the British Property Federation, the New London Architecture, London First and Transport for London.
Targets for 2011
Aim to participate in a minimum of two sectoral debates or research programmes per year.
Actively seek to part-sponsor one or two research projects and initiatives beneficial to our work each year.
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Risk awareness & corporate reputation