WhatHouse? Awards 2015 winners – Linden Homes, Sustainable Developer of the Year
Posted 9 December 2015 by
Keith OsborneNational housebuilder Linden Homes has further strengthened its environmental credentials with a Silver at the WhatHouse? Awards 2015, the most prestigious event in the UK new homes industry.
The company’s entry clearly impressed the judges with the scope and variety of projects and initiatives centred on minimising their environmental impact, among them Graylingwell Park, Chichester, the UK’s largest carbon-neutral scheme for energy. The company’s carbon emissions fell to 1.7 tonnes per £100,000 revenue, from 2.4 tonnes in 2013, while 94% of waste was diverted from landfill. Linden also rose from 8th to 4th in the NextGeneration 2014 sustainability benchmark, set against some of the UK’s biggest housebuilders.
David Walliams presented the WhatHouse? Award Silver at the Gala Luncheon at the Grosvenor House Hotel on 20 November.
Andrew Richards, Linden Homes group managing director, says: “It’s a huge achievement to have been ranked highly by awards judges for our sustainable expertise for the second time. It shows we’re very much on the right track and our efforts and results being recognised by industry experts. We want to build on these accolades and create even more homes that are even more sustainable, for our customers and communities.”
The WhatHouse? Awards judges said of the company’s achievement:
“Sustainability is embedded in Linden Homes’ business and is a fundamental part of its strategy for growth – embarking on an ambitious programme that will increase production by a third – to 4,000 homes – by 2018.
Over the past year, Linden Homes’ systematic approach to sustainability has achieved improvements in every area. The company scored 73% in the NextGeneration benchmark and has developed a Sustainability Route Map for launch this year, setting annual targets against six ‘pillars’ of sustainability. It is accredited on the FTSE4Good index.
Linden Homes takes a fabric-first approach and this is credited with its homes overwhelmingly achieving a ‘B’ Energy Performance Certificate. To drive down its carbon footprint, the company has established a Carbon Task Force and Carbon Management Plan, appointed Carbon Champions and engaged employees company-wide. Results in carbon reduction are reported each month to the chief executive.”