Caring for the UK environment
Westbury undertakes a range of assessments on every site we purchase and develop, designed to measure and minimise the impact of our operations on the wider environment.
Termed the EnviroCheck process, this begins with a detailed risk analysis that helps us to identify the full level of contamination on a site, identify the presence of any dangerous elements such as asbestos, and accurately project the cost of clean-up operations. By being fully informed from the outset, we reduce our financial risk and liability and are better able to negotiate the right price to purchase the land.
An Envirecyle environmental impact assessment of each site then measures how its development will affect the local environment in its totality, assessing its consequences in terms of noise, air quality, visual impact and the overall effect on the landscape. We also consider the impact on local ecology and archaeology as well as the built heritage. This enables us to factor into our plans a range of actions to protect historic features and to accommodate or improve the habitat of local wildlife and flora. On every site, we aim to preserve or improve the existing ecological balance. This includes information on how the land or property needs to be cleared.
The EnviroCheck process also aids the effectiveness of our operations by giving us a detailed understanding from the outset of each site’s work requirements, so that these can be efficiently planned and phased.
Care is taken to preserve each site’s best natural features, for example, by retaining existing watercourses and mature trees wherever possible. Designing layouts to take advantage of natural light and shade can have significant environmental advantages by reducing in-home energy consumption and also offering our customers attractive savings on their utility bills. These advantages can be further enhanced by the superior insulation qualities of Space4 construction methods.
We are constantly striving to reduce lorry journeys and overall environmental impact by recycling more of the construction materials we require on site. On a typical brownfield site, old buildings are demolished, and the materials are separated, enabling us to reduce the demand for aggregates by dividing, crushing, and reusing old concrete and bricks. Any recoverable metals are sent offsite for recycling. Dangerous materials such as petrol or diesel fuel are also separated for safe disposal, enabling a high proportion of the affected earth to be cleaned and re-used on site.
Achieving the right mix
Westbury approaches site design to meet Government planning criteria while also exploiting opportunities to enhance local communities and the environment. We take pride in the fact that our developments do not look like the bland, zoned housing estates that dominated post-war Britain for so long but preserve the best features of existing villages and townscapes. Our imaginative development planning takes account of a wide range of social, economic and environmental considerations to provide better amenities and enhanced infrastructure for our neighbours as well as our customers and ensure good overall environmental practice.
By building mixed-use developments incorporating offices and businesses, we help to create real, living communities where people can walk to work, and the residential areas do not become empty during the day. Intelligent use of road layouts can help to control vehicle access and speed without the need for invasive traffic calming measures. The siting of differing house types around mews, lanes, squares, and courtyards creates visual interest and allows the integration of social and private housing, avoiding social exclusion and segregation.