34 PROJECT REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTS
of the business,” says Stone. “Greencore was founded with a clear mission: to create climate-positive places and prove that housebuilding can and must be part of the solution to the climate crisis.” It’s Stone’s belief that perceived high cost and delivery confi dence is the wider challenge” for the industry to address. “They can be viewed as higher risk or more complex, particularly where supply chains and processes are not aligned around performance outcomes,” she says. Greencore Homes has omitted this risk by embedding the principles in its business strategy since inception, with an approach that “ensures environmental performance and fi nancial viability are considered together, not in confl ict. Independent analysis by Savills Earth has indicated that an average Greencore home generates around £50,000 of added ‘social value.’ “That evidence reinforces our belief that ambitious sustainability targets are not a burden to overcome, but a long term value driver for residents, communities and investors alike.”
built form and landscape work together – supporting wildlife, enhancing wellbeing and reinforcing our commitment to low-carbon living,” says Stone. As well as enhancing the site’s biodiversity, the woodland walks encourage residents to get outdoors and be active, and interact socially with neighbours. The outdoor spaces are all accessible not only for residents but to the wider community – an intentional choice to help connect the development to the local community rather than it being a “closed residential enclave,” says Stone. “The result is a development where green infrastructure supports wellbeing, ecology and placemaking while also helping to manage drainage, microclimate and long-term environmental resilience.”
THE FUTURE OF HOUSEBUILDING Targeting low energy use isn’t decided on a per-development basis for Greencore Homes: “It was made at the very inception
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Despite the reservations many developers have to pursuing the higher reaches of sustainability, Greencore has found the impact for their residents to be “overwhelmingly positive.” Stone says the homes are “intuitive” for residents, with their sustainability features largely “working in the background.” It also means homes are futureproofed against changing regulations and rising energy costs. “Buyers are increasingly looking beyond aesthetics alone,” says Stone. “They want homes that are quieter, warmer in winter, cooler in summer and cheaper to run; the combination of comfort, cost certainty and environmental responsibility makes sustainable homes not only attractive, but increasingly expected.” The reaction to The Canopies has been very positive from both the local community and stakeholders, it having understandably garnered a strong local interest. Abingdon’s Mayor Rawda Jehanli praised Greencore’s commitment to addressing local housing needs but also environmental priorities. “That endorsement refl ected the broader sentiment we’ve seen – recognition that sustainable development can support growth while responsibly responding to climate and community objectives,” says Stone.
Greencore has plans to deliver 10,000 homes by 2035, a challenging goal for high performing sustainability. The company intends to continually refi ne its designs, material choices and push performance standards in order to “show that high quality, low carbon housing is not niche or experimental – it’s practical, and scalable; the future of responsible housebuilding.”
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