Home
Corporate Responsibility

Corporate Responsibility

Our approach to corporate responsibility (CR) is fully integrated within our business strategy.

Sections within this page

Integrated approach
Employees and Suppliers
Risk awareness and corporate reputation

Corporate
Community

Environment
Investors

The Executive Directors have set objectives, which have been consistent for many years, in each of the five key areas of corporate and social responsibility that are material to our business: Corporate, Environment, Employees and Suppliers, Community and Investors. Targets for performance in each area are set annually.

A formal report is made to the Projects Board on every live development project each month. These reports are required to refer to health and safety matters and all other material issues affecting the Company’s CR objectives.

Each year, this information is consolidated and recorded by an Executive Director; the progress made is assessed and targets are proposed for the following year. The Executive Directors as a whole will then discuss performance to date and agree new targets.

Integrated approach

When planning and bidding for development and investment opportunities, the briefing material we give to our consultants outlines our CR policies and detailed aspirations. Through early consideration in the design process, safety, sustainability and environmental considerations become embedded in all our projects.

As our joint venture(JV) business develops, it is our intention to share our knowledge and ambitions with our partners.

Corporate

Objectives

Develop our minimum standards and advance from regulatory compliance towards good practice in sustainable and responsible development.
Improve our internal reporting on corporate responsibility(CR) matters against our targets and objectives. To ensure sustained improvement and commitment to our objectives.

Targets for 2010

Establish biannual performance reporting to the Board and publish this information on our website, www.developmentsecurities.com.

2010 Progress

Reporting was improved through the Projects Board.
The nature of reporting (by exception) and the limitations of our website prevented us from publishing this information on our website.
Our key objectives are clarified within our briefing documents to external consultants. Our surveyors remain individually responsible for implementing policy. This has continued with the planning applications for PaddingtonCentral, Hammersmith Grove and Hale Barns.
Our surveyors tailor project strategy for project management, sustainable development, waste management and BREEAM to suit the specifics of the development and to accord with our objectives.

Targets for 2011

Improve our reporting structure further – surveyors shall report on CR matters to the Projects Board on all live development schemes by incorporating a written statement within their specific project reports.
Update and review our corporate website to include current objectives and policy.
Review our health and safety policies, including our internal handbook and HSE briefing documents for external consultants.
Review our project briefing document and standard consultant appointments to reflect current CR Policy.
Develop a 'briefing document' for our joint venture (JV) partners and Investment team.
Allocate a CR Co-ordinator internally to monitor our CR activities and review our targets annually.

Environment

Objectives

Minimise energy and water consumption at all major developments, through good design, efficient construction site practices and advice to occupants.
Seek to minimise waste on developments.
On every project appoint suitably qualified consultants to advise on technical options available for sustainable development.

Targets for 2010

Implement BREEAM assessments for all office developments; plan to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating; achieve a minimum rating of ‘Very Good’.
To formally brief design teams on the importance of: energy efficient design; selection and specification of materials to minimise their environmental impact; use of pre-fabrication; production of a travel plan.
To formally brief construction teams on the importance of: minimising energy use and CO₂ emissions; minimising transport use and CO₂ emissions; minimising water use in construction; reduction, reuse and recycling of waste materials.

2010 Progress

A planning approval for the next phase of PaddingtonCentral is based on a design that seeks to achieve an Excellent BREEAM rating.
Our planning application for Hammersmith Grove is designed to achieve an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating.
Our planning application for Hale Barns is predominantly retail led with residential above. The retail shell units seek a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ target and the residential units will target a Code 4 Sustainable Homes accreditation.
The Premier Inn Hotel at West Quay, Southampton will achieve a 'Very Good' rating and may yet achieve an 'Excellent' rating with the assistance of the operator. The site is on contaminated, reclaimed land in the centre of the city. We have had an active waste management policy on site for the duration of the project and have recycled the concrete and reinforcements from the old structures that were grubbed up on site. A travel plan and employment strategy for the tenant will be drafted following consultation with the local authority.

Targets for 2011

Benchmark and reduce carbon emissions from all future developments, in advance of legislation, by working with our design and contracting teams on specifications and site management techniques.
Publish a written case study of one of our major developments highlighting the issues of socially responsible development.

Employees and Suppliers

Objectives

Maintain collegiate atmosphere; encourage and facilitate employee development.
Enforce policy to ensure the workplace health and safety of all employees and visitors.
Liaise with construction teams to ensure compliance with health and safety best practice procedures.
Engage our major suppliers in our sustainable development programme and maintain relations through periods of inactivity.

Targets for 2010

Ensure the rigorous and consistent treatment of health and safety issues by improving on-site reporting and engagement with employees.
Operate a formal Board reporting process for workplace and site-based health and safety issues.
Ensure every major supplier understands our sustainability objectives and targets and achieves satisfactory performance.

2010 Progress

We have actively supported employees in their continuous personal and professional development including training courses, technical seminars, lectures and conferences.
We have held team building events for our site developments and encourage participation in risk and opportunity sessions with all our team members.
Our Health and Safety Officer reports on risks and maintains and distributes a health and safety handbook.
We continually assess our external team’s suitability to perform their Construction, Design and Management (CDM) duties.
All project surveyors now report to the Projects Board on health and safety matters, highlighting any reportable accidents, our response, record-keeping and lessons learned.
We conduct annual reviews with key suppliers to discuss their and our current business objectives, including corporate responsibility policies.
We appointed a 'librarian' to collate and distribute to our surveyors technical information received from external sources.

Targets for 2011

Extend health and safety reporting process to our joint venture partners and the main Board, through an obligation to report on any reportable accidents on our developments.
Review our internal and external HSE documentation.
Review our selection procedures for the appointment of the consultants that advise us on health, safety and environmental issues and CDM matters.
Ensure that every major supplier understands our sustainability objectives and targets and achieves satisfactory performance; review our Standard Briefing Document in March 2011.
Ensure that all new development projects have a ‘brief’ based around the Standard Brief Documentation.
Continue to maintain relations with our suppliers during periods of inactivity through a structured approach to communications.
Issue guidance notes to our JV partners and encourage them to adopt our objectives and targets.

Community

Objectives

Create diverse and balanced developments that reflect the socio-economic diversity of their local communities.
Develop successful partnerships with local stakeholders and engage them in our sustainability work.
Enrich and improve communities and environments local to our developments.
Sponsor and support projects that promote the arts in local communities.
Sponsor and support youth programmes in their efforts to create greater opportunities for young people in local communities.
Share knowledge with our local communities to improve levels of skills and training and to foster a greater appreciation of environmental issues.

Targets for 2010

Instigate a post-completion review programme with local stakeholders at all major new developments within a year of project completion, to obtain feedback.
Identify and record key improvements at all major developments: open spaces, landscaping, community facilities and public art.
Actively seek opportunities to support youth programmes and educational initiatives.

2010 Progress

We continue to support local initiatives connected to our development sites. For example we helped to fund the refurbishment of a local school through our Two Kingdom Street project at PaddingtonCentral.
We have provided both financial and intellectual assistance to a wide range of charities supporting health, education and welfare initiatives.
We sponsored charitable activities by employees.
We held post-completion reviews of the last phase of PaddingtonCentral and our CityPark, Manchester scheme.
We support the programme at West Quay, Southampton for using local labour and providing educational experiences and presentations for local schools. We have also committed to draft an Employment and Skills Training Document for the occupier, Premier Inn.

Targets for 2011

Continue post-completion review programme with local stakeholders at all major new developments to obtain feedback within a year of completion, including at our hotel development in WestQuay Southampton.
Identify and record key improvements at all major developments including open spaces, landscaping, community facilities and public art.
Actively seek opportunities to support youth programmes and educational initiatives on our major developments.

Investors

Objectives

Contribute to the better working of our industry by participating in debate and publishing research.

Targets for 2010

Aim to participate in a minimum of two sectoral debates or research programmes per year.
Actively seek to part-sponsor one or two research projects and initiatives beneficial to our work each year.

2010 Progress

We have supported a real estate education programme at Reading University and published our 'Quality of Life' report.
We financially contribute to British Council for Officers, the British Property Federation, the New London Architecture, London First and Transport for London.

Targets for 2011

Aim to participate in a minimum of two sectoral debates or research programmes per year.
Actively seek to part-sponsor one or two research projects and initiatives beneficial to our work each year.