Crest Nicholson scoops sustainability hat-trick
Crest Nicholson, the developer behind the eco-friendly homes at the sustainable development, ICON, in Street, has underlined its market-leading position with two major wins at the Housebuilding Innovation Awards 2009, as well as being identified by NextGeneration as one of the UK’s leading housebuilders for commitment to sustainable development.
Crest Nicholson, beat off competition form Barratt Developments, Miller Homes and Places for people to be awarded two of the most coveted accolades: ‘Sustainable Housebuilder of the Year’ and ‘Housebuilding Innovator of the Year’ in the large companies’ category at the Housebuilding Innovation Awards 2009, which is run by the Home Builders Federation in association with the NHBC.
The awards are supported by the Government and aim to recognise companies that are demonstrating a commitment to excellence and innovation in the housebuilding industry. Now in its fifth year, the Housebuilding Innovation Awards offer a showcase of best practice ideas and technology, raising standards and setting a benchmark for other housebuilders to follow suit.
The judges commended Crest Nicholson for its “ongoing efforts to improve against an extremely tough background for the industry”, noting the way in which “the company shows commitment to keeping sustainability going despite this difficult market,” and how the company has “contributed considerably to the sustainability drive.”
For Crest Nicholson, these latest awards are testimony of the extent to which sustainable thinking is embedded into every aspect of business practice, from lowering office energy consumption by 13.7% in 2008 and being one of the first to sign up to WRAP’s Halving Waste to Landfill campaign, to delivering ongoing sustainable development and low carbon homes across its development portfolio.
Completing the hat-trick, Crest Nicholson has also emerged as one of the UK’s leading housebuilders in terms of its commitment to sustainable development for the second year running. According to a report published last week by NextGeneration entitled ‘Laying Firm Foundations’, Crest Nicholson has been ranked among the top two of the UK’s 25 largest residential developers in addressing sustainability issues and building more eco-friendly homes.
NextGeneration is an independent review that aims to drive best practice by encouraging the residential sector to embrace more sustainable design and delivery. With the government calling for all new homes to be zero-carbon by 2016, the NextGeneration benchmarking system provides housebuilders with a means of reviewing operations against their peers and developing new and innovative ways to respond to the challenges of climate change.
As one of the leaders in this year’s benchmark, Crest Nicholson has been recognised for the quality of its sustainable design standards, having been involved in delivering some of the most innovative projects built in the UK to date.
Stephen Stone, Chief Executive of Crest Nicholson, said: “As a responsible developer, the need to reduce carbon emissions and tackle the problems posed by climate change remains an integral part of our Group strategy. We believe that sustainability delivers real business value and despite the challenges represented by the economy, carbon emissions are not in recession and we are continuing to drive forward, innovate and explore the use of new technologies that will ensure sustainable development standards extend beyond the niche market and start to filter down into more mainstream delivery.”
Crest Nicholson’s eco-development, ICON, in Street is an excellent example of the quality and design which has enabled the company to win these prestigious accolades, having achieved an EcoHomes rating of ‘Excellent’. The location offers sustainable living with the convenience of a modern home. A selection of houses and apartments are currently available, with prices ranging from £105,950 for a one-bedroom apartment to £249,950 for a four bedroom, three storey home.
For further information, call into the sales and marketing suite which is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Alternatively, log on to liveicon.co.uk to find out more information or to see the ICON fly-through movie.