As an organisation of our size there are countless ways in which we affect the environment. Some of these are direct effects while others are far more indirect. In order to achieve realistic goals we have chosen initially to concentrate on those areas where our impact is greatest. Our reasons for making these choices are as follows.
The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced as a result of tenants heating all 5,000 of our properties is colossal. By carrying out energy efficient improvements we have minimised this impact and reduced the costs of tenants’ fuel bills.
Heating the space occupied by each of our office based staff results in the emission of approximately 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person a year. By improving the insulation of our buildings and increasing staff awareness of energy wastage, we can reduce this and save money.
Fact: Average temperatures are rising. CO2 is one of the main contributors to global warming. The generation of power for offices and homes is responsible for more than half the carbon dioxide produced in the UK.
Nearly 60% of our tenants don’t own a car and rely on bus services, cycling or walking. We would like to support these tenants, and prevent car-ownership becoming a necessity for future tenants. Poor public transport could affect our new build policy, preventing homes from being constructed in rural locations.
The Association’s staff travelled over 693,000 miles during the course of their work in 2005/6. The majority of these journeys are on small roads, in areas where local people live and work. This increases our responsibility for keeping our vehicle emissions low and reducing unnecessary journeys.
Fact: Research by the British Medical Association has shown that 20,000 die prematurely each year in Britain due to air pollution. Road traffic is forecast to increase by 50% by 2025.
Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource. Our 13,000 tenants use on average 155 litres of water per person a day. That’s a total of 1.82 million litres a day! We can help significantly reduce this by providing low volume toilet cisterns, installing showers and reducing leaks. In the long term this will also save tenants money as water meters become increasingly common.
Fact: Over the last 300 years demand for water has increased more than five times as fast as the world’s population growth. That trend is expected to continue.
Last financial year (2005-6) we built 117 new properties. Many of these buildings will still be standing in 100 years or more. Their visual impact, and the location in which they are sited, will have an effect well into the future.
Fact: At current rates of demolition and replacement any house built now will have to last more than 1,000 years if everyone is to be housed. The South East England Regional Assembly is consulting on a range of 25,500 to 32,000 new homes per annum, but the evidence of demographic change and economic forecasts indicate that at least 32,000 new homes each year are needed. The Oxfordshire Structure Plan requires Oxfordshire to find space for over 2,000 properties a year between now and 2011. The Vale of White Horse District Council will have to find room for 5,250 of these homes.
We live and work in a beautiful rural area, with a great diversity of plants and wildlife. As a major builder we need to ensure that our activities do not affect sensitive local wildlife habitats.
Fact: There are over 1,000 species of flowering plant in Oxfordshire and more than 200 species of birds. 100 of these plants or birds are either rare or threatened.
As a result of our repair and maintenance work, we produce at least 1 skipfull of waste a day. All of this waste is sent to a recycling plant and approximately 70% is successfully recycled, saving us thousands of pounds. However, this still leaves approximately 30%of our waste per year which cannot be recycled and is therefore sent to a local landfill site.
Each year on average each of our 5,000 households produces in excess of 6kg of household waste. Our tenants are therefore contributing 3 million kg of waste to local landfill sites a year.
Fact: Recycling one glass jar can save enough energy to light an energy efficient light bulb for 24 hours. Nearly 50% of household waste could be diverted from landfill by making compost from kitchen and garden waste.
As a major purchaser of building materials, we have a responsibility to ensure that all our materials come from sustainable sources.
With over 160 staff we consume large quantities of office supplies and paper. It is important that we not only recycle, but that we buy recycled products and help close the recycling loop. We are committed to purchasing recycled paper for use in our offices, as well as recycling as much paper as possible after use.
Fact: One tonne of paper from recycled pulp saves 17 trees, 2.3 cubic metres of landfill space, 31,400 litres of water, 4200 kWh (enough to heat a home for half a year), 1600 litres of oil, and prevents 26 kgs of air pollutants.
Did we meet our targets for improving our environmental performance last year (2006-2007)?
√ Affordable Warmth Steering Groups have been organised and attended regularly, and the Action Plan has been updated.
√ Two low-energy bulbs have been put into each void and new property.
√ Seven PVs have been put in. These are being monitored, we are one year into a 2-year DTI programme.
√ A programme has been set up to do this, which is ongoing and updated year by year.
√ The trial on 3 properties has been completed. We found that though an efficient insulator, the wallpaper is not as cost effective as an upgraded heating system.
√ 12 month data complete for first trial and two other properties have been identified for further trial. Boilers working satisfactorily and appear to be saving electricity use and cost.
√ All gas boilers installed have Sedbuk energy efficiency rating A. Micro-combined has been investigated. Feedback has been positive and prices are dropping.
√ We now have 15 vans.
√ Bikes bought tax-free from employer count as gifts under Schedule 1, and are therefore not a feasible scheme for the Association.
√ We are continuing to attend and participate in these meetings.
√ The bus group uses office space in our sheltered schemes, and has the option of applying to us for a Community Grant.
√ Our target for 2006-2007 was to install 75 showers; 78 showers have been installed in total.
√ Close to 70 water butts have been installed this year with more ordered to be delivered in 2007-2008.
Χ Emails have been sent to raise staff awareness and training about paper saving has been given to all staff at induction. A footer about paper saving has been added to all external emails. Overall, however paper usage in our offices rose by 13% in 2006-2007.
Looking to the near future, what is the Association intending to do to improve its environmental performance during the 2007-2008 financial year?
We have set ourselves a programme of activities to carry out. A summary of the most important points is given below.
• Continue to manage and monitor the Affordable Warmth Strategy
• Install two low-energy light bulbs in each property before re-let after a void and in each newly built property
• Monitor success of PV schemes
• Monitor success of new electric boilers installed and look at further opportunities for trials
• Install high frequency light fittings in communal areas of sheltered schemes where possible
• Replace or upgrade heating systems and hot water appliances (one electric heating system can be upgraded; property to have wet system installed instead of storage heating)
• Promote rechargeable batteries for tenant use
• Investigate using ‘green electricity’ from renewable sources
• Continue the use of LPG vans for our works division and continue to monitor biodiesel alternatives
• Investigate car-sharing schemes
• Continue to work together with Oxford Rural Transport Partnership
• Continue support of Faringdon Community Bus
• Continue to install mixer showers over baths as part of bathroom refurbishments
• Use water butts where possible in new developments and promote and install water butts in existing properties
• Reduce paper consumption by 10%
• Look at online authorisation of timesheets
• Set all Association printers to default to duplex printing
• Monitor paper usage and educate staff over paper saving and investigate paper saving work methods
• Put better recycling systems into offices
• Undertake energy audit with The Environmental Information Exchange and take any improvement measures arising from this
• Investigate green electricity for offices
The Environmental Management System (EMS) sets out procedures which all our staff should follow.
The Board of Management and the Chief Executive carried the overall responsibility for implementing our Environmental Policy in 2006-2007. Due to restructure of our organisation, The Managing Director will take over responsibility from the Chief Executive from April 2007. The Managing Director and Board of Management will ensure that the Policy is reviewed every 2 years.
The day-to-day management of our Environmental Policy is co-ordinated by a ‘Green Team’. This team meets at least 4 times a year. It includes at least one senior member of staff from each of the Association’s three Directorates and for 2006-2007 the Chief Executive. The Green Team is responsible for developing, budgeting and monitoring the Association’s environmental work.
All new staff and Board Members joining the Association will receive environmental training. The importance of their role and responsibilities will be explained.
Meeting Issue Raised At Nature of Non-conformance and corrective action taken on 6th April 2006. There was a potential release of Asbestos when fixing a leak in the connection between an existing wall and a new conservatory. HSE was notified; the area evacuated and isolated until safe.
This Statement will be updated annually. The next Environmental Statement will be published in the summer of 2008.
In 1999 we had to pass a rigorous assessment to become the first Housing Association in the UK to be awarded the internationally recognised environmental standard, ISO14001. This accreditation lasts for 3 years. In April 2002 and 2005 we underwent further assessment to ensure that we are still meeting the required standards. Following this assessment our award has been extended for a further three years. During this time there will be regular 6 monthly surveillance visits by BVQI. This company is one of the nationally accredited bodies qualified to carry out these checks.
If you want to make any comments about our environmental work, or you have a complaint, please phone Claire Phillipson, Communications & Research Assistant on (01235) 536001, e-mail her on claire.phillipson@vale-housing.co.uk or write to her at:
The Vale Housing Association Ltd
The Old Maltings
Vineyard
Abingdon
Oxon
OX14 3UG