Finding a better way Social Impact Review 2018
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A connected and considered approach to placemaking...
Finding a better way Redrow’s purpose is to create a better way for people to live. It’s the thread that runs through everything we do, every day. We strive to bring our purpose to life by collaborating with partners, local authorities, colleagues and communities to create sustainable, quality homes that meet local needs while helping to tackle national housing demand.
Sustainable solutions at each stage of development...
We help communities thrive by designing developments that integrate well with their surrounding built and natural environments, while reinforcing a strong local identity. It is a connected and considered approach to placemaking, reflected in every place we create.
We value people, putting the interests of our colleagues, customers, supply chain partners and communities at the centre of our decision-making. We equip our people with the skills and opportunities they need to help us build quality homes, while improving future life chances for themselves and their families.
5,913 93
291
total homes built in 2018*
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Finding a better way: Social Impact Review 2018
hectares of publicly-accessible green space
trainees joined Redrow in 2018
15%
of our workforce is made up of apprentices, graduates and sponsored students
Positive impacts for customers, communities and the environment...
“We live in challenging times. While we’re proud of our achievements and focused on our purpose of creating a better way for people to live, we’re also clear about our responsibility to do things in the right way, the Redrow way.
Developments that reinforce strong local identities...
We build responsibly by putting safety first, and by creating high-quality homes that stand the test of time. We also embrace sustainable solutions at each stage of development, building energy-efficient places to live that enhance their environment and meet the needs and aspirations of our customers.
We do it all with an eye to the future, constantly asking ourselves how this home, this place will deliver the greatest positive impact for customers, communities and the environment, for generations to come. We believe that by answering those questions we are helping to find a better way for everyone to live.
Where we design and build great homes and great places that create thriving communities. Where we build responsibly, considerate of our neighbours, with sites that are safe for the people who work and live there. And where we value people, making sure they can develop and reach their full potential within the business. In this report we illustrate how our commitment to the right ways of working is delivering great results on the ground, and how each individual success story is contributing to the bigger picture, in which social cohesion, economic prosperity and biodiversity are encouraged and protected.”
John Tutte, Group Chief Executive
96.8%
of waste diverted from landfill
39%
of sites built on brownfield land * All statistics quoted in this review refer to year ended 30th June 2018.
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BUILDING MUTUALLYBENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIPS
Engaging, partnering and collaborating
Communities Local communities are made up of many diverse individuals, organisations and interest groups. We value all views and opinions and work hard to provide a platform and give a voice to everyone wishing to have their say and to contribute to one of our developments.
We’re proud to be part of a pioneering partnership in Wiltshire to create a thriving new community and affordable homes for vulnerable military veterans, service leavers and their families. This is the first development in the UK to be designed specifically to meet the needs of returning military personnel.
At Redrow we recognise that building high-quality homes requires us to nurture mutually-beneficial relationships with trusted partners at both a local and national level. To ensure we fully appreciate the context, challenges, aspirations and opportunities that exist on the ground, we work collaboratively with local people in their communities, as well as with partner agencies and our supply chain. Playing a full and active role in these professional networks ensures we apply the latest planning and design thinking, technology, and sustainable construction methods and materials. For us, the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts. Here we take a look at some of our key partners and how we work with them.
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Finding a better way: Social Impact Review 2018
DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY
LAND, PLANNING & DESIGN
Local authorities Maintaining productive working relationships with local authorities is at the heart of every successful development. They provide the vital local knowledge and relationships in their communities, which helps ensure that plans and designs integrate well with the local environment.
Our 50/50 partnership with the London Borough of Wandsworth to regenerate the Alton Estate in Roehampton will feature a range of community events to enable local people to participate in the master planning process in a fun and engaging way. The result will be a vibrant proposal in which new homes will be complemented by a new village square with retail, health and leisure facilities that add real value for all of the community.
CONSTRUCTION
Broader partnerships We’re often the selected homebuilder in developments featuring multiple partners and interests. Here we appreciate the unique expertise of each organisation and work hard to generate relationships in which all parties have an opportunity to contribute.
In a ground-breaking approach to housing delivery, the Liverpool Housing Trust brings together Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Mutual Homes, Redrow and Wilmott Dixon to deliver a five-year plan to create 1,500 new homes and regenerate 1,000 more across the city. The partners’ ambitious vision is to raise living standards, create employment and prosperity and boost local services.
Leadership organisations To help maintain the global reputation of the UK’s homebuilding sector, our colleagues share new thinking with peers at industry working groups hosted by bodies including the Home Builders Federation, the Home Building Skills Partnership and the CITB.
MARKETING AND SALES
CUSTOMER SERVICE
We’re Gold Leaf members of the UK Green Building Council, which campaigns for sustainable built environments. We’ve received multiple accolades for the quality of our developments, from all of the UK’s most prestigious awards programmes.
Supply chain Our close and often long-standing relationships with our supply chain partners provide a rich source of talent, expertise and innovation that keeps Redrow at the forefront of best practice in sustainable placemaking and homebuilding.
To help maintain our leadership position, we’re partners in the Supply Chain Sustainability School. This is an award-winning programme providing free learning and personal development packages examining the latest in sustainable planning and construction techniques.
In 2016, we became the first housebuilder to join the Institute of Customer Service. This partnership enables us to share best practice across a number of industries and continually improve our customer experience.
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Homes for all
Creating vibrant and sustainable communities We have taken a lead role in creating a new generation of communities designed to integrate with their built and natural environments. Our Ebbsfleet development is also one of ten sites in the earlier Healthy New Towns Programme, which is helping the NHS rethink how health and care services can be delivered at the community level.
Our developments in Ebbsfleet Garden City, Woodford, Ledsham, Amington and Plasdŵr exemplify our commitment to creating these thriving new places – where schools, shops, facilities and homes are set within a network of connected green spaces.
We work collaboratively with people and their communities to tackle challenges and create positive change. We are developing a tool to help measure the social value created by new developments, so that our placemaking teams can take a more informed approach to designing and creating developments which maximise positive outcomes.
We’re members of the NHS Healthy Towns Network, a nationwide initiative to explore how innovative placemaking can support better health outcomes and the wider wellbeing of communities.
19km
of new cycle tracks in our communities 6
1,042 school places for new families
£184m
in Section 106 contributions to enhance community infrastructure
Finding a better way: Social Impact Review 2018
Our developments are designed to be attractive, desirable places to live that meet the specific needs of local communities by sensitively integrating privately owned and affordable homes. This strengthens people’s connections with each other and with the place they live.
Places to go, things to do We prioritise convenient access to schools, community facilities, health centres and transport links in every community we create. 95% of all of our homes are within 500m of a public transport route.
Our placemaking principles We’re committed to building better places for people to live, work and prosper. Our Redrow 8 design principles define our considered approach to placemaking, and help us understand and respond to the needs and expectations of local stakeholders. Our principles inform the creation of high-quality, beautiful homes for our customers, and vibrant, sustainable places for communities to thrive.
Development story:
Ebbsfleet Green Our Ebbsfleet Green development in Kent is part of the first garden city to be built in 100 years. Our plans will see around 900 homes built (a quarter of which will be affordable) alongside a new primary school, a new park, play areas, sports pitches, allotments, a community hall and local shop. The wider Ebbsfleet Garden City will also include a vibrant new commercial centre, creating more than 30,000 new jobs, and leisure and recreational facilities close to Ebbsfleet International Station.
As part of our Edible Ebbsfleet project we are planting fruit trees across the development to attract a diverse array of insects and encourage residents to enjoy healthier diets and lead healthier lives. “We’re honoured to be a part of this development and fully invested in its success.” Chris Lilley, MD Redrow South East
c. 1,000 92 attractive new homes
transformational acres
A t Redrow, we believe that everyone deserves the best home and a better way to live. Our Redrow 8 principles, which complement and reinforce our company values, seek to deliver this. Kevin Parker Group Masterplanning Director 7
Development story:
Caddington Woods
Bringing nature to the doorstep
This former car park in Luton, Bedfordshire, is blossoming into a new community of 325 homes. With open spaces designed in collaboration with the RSPB, the development will enhance local biodiversity and achieve a net gain status through species-rich planting, wildlife ponds and an abundance of natural woodland.
We work hard to keep the natural world at the heart of all of our developments. Our aim is to preserve, protect and enhance local surroundings, creating a stimulating environment which is both a great habitat for wildlife and an inspiring natural space for the community. A hive of activity
Nature for people
Our partnership with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust is a longstanding commitment. We’re their only UK housebuilding partner, and use their expertise to provide habitats for bees on our developments, while raising awareness of the essential role of pollinators.
We’re helping communities connect with nature through our biodiversity strategy, which is being developed with the Wildlife Trusts and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Our overarching aim is to enrich biodiversity and enhance local surroundings.
“Our partnership with Redrow is enabling us to create more bee-friendly habitats, both in their developments and through their customers making their gardens bee-friendly.” Gill Perkins, CEO, Bumblebee Conservation Trust
7,235
new trees planted
93
hectares of publicly-accessible green space
121
biodiversity action plans
325
new homes, set in a diverse green environment and natural woodland 8
Finding a better way: Social Impact Review 2018
All Caddington Woods residents are receiving membership of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust for free, helping to promote and propagate its vital work. We are also creating a network of ‘hedgehog highways’ to help one of the nation’s best-loved mammals move safely around the development on the hunt for food or a mate.
10.4
hectares of enhanced and enriched woodland on site
A community trust We’ve created an innovative community trust at Caddington Woods, run by local stakeholders and funded by rental incomes from our affordable homes. Income from the trust is expected to reach more than £5m over the next 20 years. It will be used to support community projects like a free bus service and a state-of-the-art community centre. “This unique scheme enables families with a connection to the area to live in a new home which is suitable for their needs, in a location they want, and at a price they can afford. It’s proving a big success.” Councillor Carole Hegley, Central Bedfordshire’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care, Housing Operations and Customer Services
W e were treated totally professionally, and left brimming with confidence thanks to the time the Redrow team took to share information with us during the move to our new home. The Abidemi family Customer and homeowner
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Building communities, creating opportunities We value our people, partners, contractors and communities. Our responsible approach to development creates opportunities for local workers, and nurtures the next generation of construction talent. We’ve established the UK’s first housebuilding degree with our partners at Liverpool John Moores University and Coleg Cambria. This comprehensive housebuilding course gives students a grounding in quality, health and safety, project management, business and law. It allows them to earn while they learn through opportunities to gain practical experience alongside classroom-based studies and virtual learning.
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Finding a better way: Social Impact Review 2018
We invest in attracting and retaining a talented, diverse team and we understand the importance of creating opportunities for people in their local communities. That’s why our Group CEO John Tutte is the Chair of the Home Building Skills Partnership, a HBF/ CITB-led initiative to develop a more diverse construction workforce.
5 consecutive years we’ve appeared in the UK’s Top 100 Apprentice Employers
291 trainees joined Redrow in 2018
15%
of our workforce is made up of apprentices, graduates and sponsored students. We are proud members of the prestigious 5% Club, a campaign focused on investing in apprentices and graduates
Development story:
Colindale Gardens Our Colindale Gardens development is revitalising the disused tower blocks and surrounding urban landscape of the former Metropolitan Police training site known as the Peel Centre. The area’s transformation will better connect existing neighbourhoods with a new primary school, sports field and open, natural space for the local community. New paths and green spaces will weave through the development, linking a range of new shops, restaurants and office buildings.
We’re tackling the industry’s skills shortage through our grassroots development programme. Alongside opportunities at the new development, our work at Colindale Gardens will create 90 training places in specialist construction trades over the next ten years. “Our partnership with Redrow helps us to understand the skills challenges the company is facing locally and how we can work together to help overcome them.” Sian Palmer, Barnet Southgate College
3,000
new homes – our single biggest investment in homes
12-year
development, with 600 people on site every day
Recruiting locally is vital to our connection with our communities. At Colindale, 92% of our subcontractors are employed locally.
I started as a Redrow apprentice in September 2016. As someone that lives in Colindale, joining the scheme was a fantastic opportunity to stay local and learn a trade. Mason Edwards Plumbing apprentice 11
Finding a better way to build We build responsibly by putting safety first, protecting the health and safety of everyone on and around our sites, creating quality homes, and providing a constantly improving experience for our customers and communities. We’re committed to responsible regeneration and building high-quality homes, and we recognise the importance of environmental stewardship, putting sustainability at the heart of our developments.
We strive to replicate that commitment to excellence in all of our processes. For example, this year we created a subcontractor online portal to help speed up the resolution of defects and snags.
We’re proud of our meticulous workmanship. Managers at 19 of our sites across the country hold National House-Building Council (NHBC) Pride in the Job Awards, celebrating their achievement of the highest standards in house-building.
Our commitment to a safe, considerate working environment is exemplified by our five Redrow site managers who have been commended in the NHBC’s Health and Safety Awards – the only awards recognising site managers who prioritise the health and wellbeing of their teams.
5 We’re a corporate partner of the Considerate Constructors Scheme 12
commended site managers and 1 highly commended site manager
Finding a better way: Social Impact Review 2018
53%
of our developments are registered to the Considerate Constructors Scheme
Development story:
Woodford Garden Village Stockport’s Woodford Garden Village is one of the North’s largest brownfield regeneration projects, creating c. 1,000 new homes over 205 hectares. Formerly home to Woodford Aerodrome, we’ve redeveloped it sensitively, restoring local countryside, re-establishing public rights of way and reflecting its aviation history in wide, sweeping, tree-lined boulevards and a new heritage centre.
“Greater Manchester has a huge need for new homes to meet our growing population, to respond to economic growth, and to accommodate demographic change. Woodford Garden Village can help meet our need for aspirational housing, while demonstrating that development can protect and enhance environmental quality.” Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive, Greater Manchester Combined Authority 2018
96.8%
of waste is diverted from landfill
23,000
paint cans recycled in 2018
0.52%
decrease in our greenhouse gas emissions
39%
of sites we build on are brownfield
I t was great to go on a Hard Hat Tour of my new house – you can start to visualise where to place things. I had no idea what goes on behind the scenes, and you really appreciate the time it actually takes for the house to be ready. Rebecca Scott Redrow Customer, Ebbsfleet Garden City
“The delivery of quality new homes for customers will always be a great love of mine. There is nothing more rewarding than witnessing happy new home owners move into their brand new properties.” Zara Fairman, Site Manager, South East Division, and Seal of Excellence winner from the NHBC, placing her in the top 1% of her profession nationally. 13
Preparing for the future
A t Redrow, our
Everything we do is focused on finding better ways for people to live. How will every home we build, and every community we create, deliver the value, prosperity and positive impact we seek? How can we continue to make a difference for our customers now, and for generations to come?
culture – right across the business – is to seek out opportunities to continually enhance the homes we build, the places we create and the service we provide to our customers. Rob Macdiarmid Group Sustainability Director
Constant evolution We constantly assess how we can integrate the latest design thinking and innovative technologies into the homes that we build, so that our developments are responsible and sustainable, enhance the environment and meet the needs and aspirations of our customers and their families. Here are a few examples… 14
Finding a better way: Social Impact Review 2018
Measuring social value We are creating a Social Value Calculator, which will forecast the benefits that our developments deliver and help shape our conversations with local authorities and community groups.
Meeting our placemaking principles We’re devising a methodology and digital tool to enable us to review and assess our development layouts to ensure that they always meet our Redrow 8 guiding principles.
Protecting the natural world on your doorstep Our partnership-led biodiversity strategy will keep us, and the communities we serve, connected with the needs of the natural environment around our developments.
Keeping safety front and centre Building safely and responsibly is non-negotiable for us. We are working towards becoming incident and injury free, introducing an accredited health and safety system to the ISO 45001 standard.
Development story:
Building a legacy at Plasdŵr One of our most ambitious projects so far is this £2 billion investment taking shape in Cardiff. Drawing inspiration from the garden city movement, and emphasising fresh air, sunlight, breathing space and room to play, Plasdŵr will deliver the homes the city needs, helping drive economic growth as well as creating fantastic places to live.
As the development evolves, distinctive areas with individual character will offer apartments, town houses and luxury family homes, and four primary schools. A secondary school will sit alongside health centres, shops and offices, pubs and restaurants. Leisure centres, playing fields, parks and heritage woodland will complete this thriving new community.
20 years 7,000 of responsible development
Reducing our environmental impact We are conscious of how our activities have long-term impacts. Our Group-wide strategy targets a carbon intensity reduction of 10% by 2022.
new homes in a 250-hectare community
Quality and customer service excellence As we strive for ever-higher development standards, we are working towards quality standard ISO 9001 accreditation. And we’re currently trending above 90% NHBC customer recommend rating.
Modern construction methods We continue to evaluate different methods of modern construction across Redrow to supplement our widespread use of timber frame construction and pre-manufactured heating systems and kitchen components.
Wellbeing and inclusiveness We’re rolling out a programme of initiatives to enhance the health and wellbeing of our teams and onsite contractors.
Inspiring the next generation We’re developing a partnership approach to engage education institutions across the country – inspiring the next generation of construction talent.
Community projects We’re creating clear guidelines and policies to guide our strategic relationships and strengthen our commitment to the communities and charitable organisations we work with.
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Redrow plc Redrow House, St. David’s Park, Flintshire CH5 3RX Tel: 01244 520044 Fax: 01244 520720 Email: groupservices@redrow.co.uk Printed on 100% recycled FSC certified paper using vegetable inks, by an ISO 14001 accredited printer