05. Does the development have any features that reduce its environmental impact?

With growing concern about climate change, building for sustainability is a necessity. Choices about where to build should be influenced by the resources and sustainability of a site. New solutions need to be explored that promote sustainable development, and should be considered from the start when doing risk assessments for land.

There is a wide variety of ways that housebuilders can reduce a scheme’s effect on the environment. This question relates to the overall development where site-wide environmental approaches have been adopted (environmental design for individual houses is covered in criterion 20).

The code for sustainable homes lists the following measures:

• using alternative and renewable
• energy schemes
• promoting recycling
• using sustainable drainage systems
• reducing construction waste
• prioritising brownfield development
• increasing biodiversity.

Watch our video explanation