Unlike older houses, you don’t have to worry about wasting energy with outdated technology or spending money on retrofitting costly insulation.
When it comes to our developments, we ensure we minimise our environmental impact while providing characterful green spaces for residents and the wider community to enjoy.
At Legal & General Homes, we have made a commitment to sustainability, in terms of our social and economic impact, as well as the environment.
Sustainability in your home
All of our properties are fitted with Hive smart thermostats, which can be controlled by your smartphone so residents can adjust their hot water and heating remotely. There are two separate heating zones, meaning parts of the home that are used at different times of the day are not heated unnecessarily. This makes a huge difference in saving energy and helping to keep bills down. In fact, our homes are 38 per cent more energy efficient than a typical Victorian property.
We’re also designing for the future. Electric charging ports can be added to all our homes with on plot parking, making it even easier for residents to avoid petrol costs and also benefit local air quality by reducing vehicle emissions.
Sustainability in our developments
For us, sustainability extends beyond our homes to the neighbourhoods we are creating. We are committed to recycling, reducing waste and improving air quality at each of our developments. One of the ways we do this is by planting a variety of trees to enrich biodiversity and encourage wildlife. At our Buckler’s Park development in Crowthorne, we are planting over 20,000 new trees in a range of new native varieties, which includes deciduous and evergreen trees planted in a variety of ages – not just saplings – to create the variety that helps wildlife flourish. Bird and bat boxes have been installed to create an environment where animals can thrive.
At Finchwood Park, our strategy from the outset has been to retain as much green space as possible rather than re-providing it elsewhere on the site. By keeping as many trees and plants in situ, we can protect and enhance ecology and wildlife habitats, ensuring the area continues to be a place for people, nature and wildlife to thrive.
We’ve recycled materials from the site’s previous use when designing our developments. At Buckler’s Park, 410,000 square metres of demolition waste has been used to build new roads, footpaths, cycle ways and parking areas on site. This saved over 27,000 HGV movements as this waste didn’t need to be removed from the site. In total, we have saved 30 tonnes of CO2 emissions and reduced waste sent to landfill by nearly 90 tonnes.
Our developments are also built with health and wellbeing in mind. Each neighbourhood benefits from green spaces that can be used for a range of activities, encouraging active and healthy lifestyles. At Finchwood Park, there will be over 140 acres of parkland for residents and visitors to enjoy, including a community garden to encourage people to grow their own food in a sustainable way. At Buckler’s Park, everyone can visit the 100-acre Buckler's Forest to relax, take the dog for a walk or go for a cycle ride.
For Legal & General Homes, our commitment to sustainability is more than ensuring we minimise our impact on the environment. Our focus is on providing benefits to our customers and building a vibrant and long-lasting community that delivers economic, social and environmental benefits to the local area.
Sustainability is one of Legal & General Homes’ four pillars, which underpin everything we do. Read more about our commitment to delivering social value, excellent customer service and quality homes here.
By John Allan, Managing Director of Legal & General Homes
