House builders do their bit to encourage greener travel

June 14 - 22 is national Green Transport Week and a chance for people to stop and think about how they travel on every journey. Individuals can make a difference by walking or using a bicycle when the distance is short, car sharing or making more use of public transport.

Large organisations must also play their role and developers like Redrow are fully committed to encouraging home owners to use their cars less all year long.

Nigel Smith, research and sustainability director for Redrow, comments: "It's already been established that new homes, with their higher levels of insulation and more efficient, modern heating systems, are generally kinder to the environment than their older second hand counterparts.

"But what's often less appreciated is the impact that housebuilders are having on encouraging people to lead ‘greener' lifestyles. Sustainability is crucial to all of our new housing developments and we make every effort to encourage engagement with local amenities, including shops, schools and public transport. We also endeavour to source as many materials as possible locally and to recycle building waste on site to minimise the amount of traffic to and from each development during construction.

"In addition the vast majority of our schemes incorporate some element of green transport, whether it's simply providing cycle stores and cycle ways, making a contribution to public transport locally or more creative initiatives like car clubs, bicycle pools or providing every household with an annual travel pass."

Redrow regularly contributes hundreds of thousands of pounds to develop and enhance public transport routes around the country, often subsidising bus routes which run through its developments and improving local facilities.

At Devonport, in Plymouth they are actually paying for two brand new buses, as well as two bus shelters with real time information displays.

Other current or future contributions to greener transport around the UK include the setting up of a car club and provision of bus season tickets at Cheswick, in Bristol; while at Danum St Giles, in Doncaster, each new household will receive a free annual travel pass worth £400.

At Fleetwood, in Lancashire, the award winning developer is investing £1.25 million in a new bascule bridge (a type of drawbridge) to provide footpath and public transport from the docks area into the town centre to avoid car journeys. And at Buckshaw Village, near Chorley, they've made land available for a new railway station on the Manchester to Preston line, with park and ride facilities.

In Farnborough, Hampshire, a bicycle pool scheme will be introduced at Farnborough Central, which will allow residents to use a bicycle for free; while £50,000 has been contributed to improve walking and cycling routes between Redrow's development and the town centre.

Residents of new homes at Loughton, in Essex, are already within walking distance of Debden tube station but will also receive vouchers valid for a month's free bus travel locally; and first time buyer ‘Debut' developments in South Wales include cycle stores, while £150,000 has been earmarked for a new dedicated bus route through the new Cwm Calon development at Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly.

Nigel adds: "These are just examples of some of the initiatives that we are pursuing around the UK as we do our bit to promote more sustainable housing developments, of which minimising the impact of the private motor car is an important part."

For information, visit Redrow.co.uk.

For information about Green Transport Week go to: Eta.co.uk/green_transport_week.