Environmental Policy - Build for Growth

Contents

1 Statement of Intent
2 Organisation & Responsibility
3 Carbon Emissions
4 Hazardous Waste
5 Noise Pollution
6 Recycling
7 Duty of Care
8 Timber
9 Solar Energy
10 Insulation
11 Environmentally Friendly Options
12 Lighting
13 Landscaping
14 Electricity
15 Water
16 Transport
17 Office Management

1 Statement of Intent

Build 4 Growth Limited regards the promotion of Environmental awareness as a mutual objective for both Management and staff at all levels. It is the Company Policy, so far as is reasonably practicable, to meet the requirements of relevant Environmental Legislation and promote further measures to provide and maintain a working environment, which enables the Company to perform core functions with the minimum of environmental impact through a pro-active Environmental Policy. Furthermore, the Company will ensure that persons not in its employment will not be exposed to environmental risks that may arise from Company undertakings.

In implementing this Policy, the Company will:

Comply with the relevant legal requirements
Reduce energy usage by implementing good housekeeping practices
Source energy efficient equipment and reduce energy resource usage
Encourage staff to travel to work by public transport wherever possible
Identify pollution potential and maintain appropriate control measures
Seek to minimise waste at source and maximise recycling
Train personnel to comply with these aims
Control aspects of its operation, including noise, odour, atmospheric emissions, and traffic movements, which may impact on the surrounding community to the lowest practicable level.

2 Organisation & Responsibility

Detailed job descriptions are issued to all personnel. Key Environmental Management responsibilities and specific roles are indicated below

Managing Director:

The Managing Director has the overall responsibility for maintaining the Company’s standards of Environmental Management and also has the responsibility for the following:

To act as the point of contact for external authorities, such as the Environment Agency in the event of the Company breaching environmental legislation.
Has ultimate responsibility for monitoring, researching, and implementing changes in environmental policy and ensuring that the Company’s relevant methods and systems of operation are altered to meet the requirements of any such amendments.
To ensure that all personnel are adequately trained in effective environmental impact management
Provide adequate equipment and resources to assist in the minimisation of pollution and environmental impact.
Ensure that equipment meets all the current legislative and/or regulative requirements.

Is also responsible for maintaining accurate and auditable records of all the Company’s environmental control measures, disciplinary actions relating to such matters, records of individual environmental training and communicate the findings to the relevant persons.

Project Managers:

The Project Managers are responsible for ensuring that all work conducted by the Company or on its behalf complies with Environmental Regulations, in addition the Project Managers are responsible for:

Ensuring that the Company’s Environmental Management procedures and systems of operation are used where relevant
Identifying failures in current control measures or areas of increased pollution potential and instigating temporary measures to control such incidences and communicate this information directly to the Managing Director.
Requesting the attendance of specialist agencies to safely recover and dispose of specialist waste e.g., finding asbestos during building work.
Controlling and monitoring the removal and disposal of waste from sites

Site Supervisors:

Site Supervisors are responsible for monitoring the environmental impact of work on sites and ensuring that all personnel comply with the relevant procedures and systems of operation. In addition, Site Supervisors are responsible for:

Assisting the Managing Director in identifying failures in current control measures or areas of increased pollution potential and instigating temporary control measures
Identifying hazardous or specialist waste that will require the assistance of a specialist waste carrier and informing the Managing Director

Operatives:

All Operatives are responsible for ensuring that they comply with and follow the Company’s Environmental Management procedures and systems of operation and do not act in a manner that could cause the Company to breach Environmental Legislation. Operatives are required to immediately inform the Site Supervisor of any activity they believe is likely to either increase pollution, cause current control measures to fail or increase the potential of pollution, and where requested, assist both the Managing Director and Site Supervisor in controlling such incidences.

Contractors:

Contractors are responsible for ensuring that they and their staff comply with and follow the Company’s Environmental Management procedures and systems of operation and do not act in a manner that could cause the Company to breach Environmental Legislation. Contractors are to ensure that they have fully understood the environmental control measures included within the Company’s method statements prior to entering the site, however, should they require further guidance then Contractors are to contact either the Managing Director or Site Supervisor for further clarification.

Contractors are required to immediately inform the Site Supervisor of any activity they believe is likely to either increase pollution, cause current control measures to fail or increase the potential of pollution, and where requested, assist both the Managing Director and Site Supervisor in controlling such incidences.

3 Carbon Emissions

It is the policy of the Company to ensure that it complies with the Clean Air Act 1993 and all of its subsequent amendments and additions throughout all of its normal daily operations, and that neither its personnel nor contractors act in a manner that would cause the Company to breech these regulations.

To ensure the Company operates within the parameters of the Clean Air Act 1993 and does not cause unnecessary annoyance the following measures will be taken:

Checks will be made with the Local Authority for each site to identify whether a site is located within either an Air Management Area or Smoke Control Area
The burning of materials on sites that emit dark smoke as defined by the “Ringelman Chart” (BS 2742C) will be strictly prohibited
Under no circumstances will tyres, cables, materials containing either lead paint, tar or oil be burnt on any site
Local authority consent will be gained before installing any fixed boiler or furnace unless for residential purposes and will be installed by a Gas Safe registered tradesman
Site staff will monitor and control the emission of dust and grit from sites and ensure appropriate measures are taken

When conducting renovations or new builds the Company will install the following as standard:

Condensing combination thermostatic boilers
Replace old boilers with A rated versions to the above specification
Insulate hot water cylinders and pipework, especially the primary pipework between the boiler and cylinder
Install pipework to support either a photovoltaic or wind turbine system for later completion
Replace electric heaters with a central heating system fed by a condensing boiler (either mains gas, LPG, oil or biomass subject to suitability)
Fit radiators with thermostatic valves
The Company will happily recommend the above measures to all its customers to effectively maintain and control their heat usage and carbon output, however this is always subject to customer approval and budget. These measures are used in conjunction with and compliment the other heat related policies detailed in the insulation and draught proofing and ventilation sections of this document.
In addition to the above measures, it is the policy of the Company to advise all customers to regularly service their boiler to maintain optimum working efficiency by using a recognised and registered professional such as Gas Safe Register

4 Hazardous Waste

It is the policy of the Company to ensure that all hazardous and specialist waste is treated and disposed of in accordance with current national and European regulations and that the approved carriers for such waste are utilised to remove and dispose of it from sites.

To achieve this, the Company will employ the following measures:

Only well established and certified brokers and carriers of specialist or hazardous waste will be used by the Company
All carriers and brokers of waste used by the Company will be free of prosecutions from the Environment Agency
All hazardous or specialist waste will be identified and determined using a hazard assessment and the European Waste Catalogue to determine its harmfulness and the appropriate action to be taken.
All equipment and units containing refrigeration systems or CFC’s will be treated as hazardous waste and the appropriate broker/carrier will be used to remove and dispose of such items

5 Noise Pollution

It is the policy of the Company to ensure that it effectively manages noise pollution on all of its sites and that it complies with the regulations set out in the Control of Pollution Act 1989 and its subsequent amendments and additions.

The Company will comply with the regulations set out in the Control of Pollution Act 1989 and will endeavour to control the emission of noise wherever possible so as not to disturb neighbouring properties. To achieve this the Company will adopt the following measures:

Conduct any excessively noisy operations between the hours of 08:30 and 17:30 between Monday and Friday and between the hours of 08:30 and 13:00 on Saturday’s unless local restrictions further reduce this operating window.
We will, when advised by local residents or Client, that the noisy working is affecting the environment, cease work and agree on an amicable way forward that will cause less disruption.
Noisy work will not be conducted on either a Sunday or Bank Holiday without prior consent from the local authority
Prior consent will be requested from the Environmental Health before work commences outlining the work to be undertaken
Site staff will ensure that all practicable measures are taken to reduce the emission and transference of noise on sites
Noisy work will only be permitted outside of site operating hours and without local authority permission in the event of an emergency that would cause unnecessary damage or potential harm. All such work would be conducted with the minimum of noise and only for as long as necessary to stop any further damage or remove any potential hazard.

6 Recycling

It is the policy of the Company to ensure that it recycles and salvages materials wherever possible during its daily operations to reduce its environmental impact.

To achieve this aim, the Company has adopted several measures to control and maximise the volume of materials that are recycled and salvaged:

When conducting a renovation or demolition the Company will conduct a recycling assessment of the property to identify aspects of the property that can be practicably recycled or salvaged for further use (subject to the customers permission)
The Company will liaise with local charities to collect unwanted clothes, toys, furniture, and appliances from properties for future donations or resale
All reusable materials will be catalogued and stored for future use by the Company
All paper-based waste (excluding timber) will be sent for recycling under the control of the local authority’s designated paper waste carrier
The Company will only supply items for recycling to register and certificated merchants and brokers
The Company will only recycle white goods after all reasonable and financially practicable measures have been taken to either repair or upgrade them.

7 Duty of Care

It is the policy of the Company to comply with The Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 and its subsequent and additional regulations for controlled waste’ produced by the Company during its normal daily operations.

To comply with the above legislation the Company has adopted the following measures:

All waste classified as Hazardous / Specialist will be dealt with as detailed in the section.
All brokers and carriers of waste used by the Company must possess a waste licence issued by the department for Environmental Health
All carriers and brokers of waste used by the Company will be periodically checked to ensure that their licences are still current and that they have not been convicted of any offences by the department for Environmental Health. Carriers or brokers who have either been convicted or fail to update their licences will be removed from the Company’s approved list of contractors.
Ensure all waste materials remain under control, at all times, by ensuring that they are safely and adequately stored on site, are appropriately and robustly stored when in transit and are efficiently handled when discharged into the care of an approved broker.
Written descriptions in the form of receipts are issued during transfers of waste to accompany, that will enable anyone receiving it to dispose of it or handle it in accordance with his/her own Duty of Care.

8 Timber

It is the policy of the Company to promote the use of timber as a relatively benign fabrication over other

building materials, and to ensure that the Company uses only well managed sources of timber from

reputable merchants.

The Company has adopted the following measures to control and promote the use of timber within its normal daily operations:

Actively discourage customers from using tropical hardwoods over well managed European alternatives
Use locally produced and managed timber wherever possible• Encourage the use of solid timber floors finished with oils or waxes instead of chipboard floors finished with carpets
Purchase chipboard and MDF with low levels of formaldehyde
Avoid using wood preservatives for internal timbers
All wood rot (both wet & dry), wood worm and wood boring beetles will be handled on a need to treat basis and wherever possible spot treated to avoid overuse and exposure to Permethrin and Boron.
Organic solvent preservatives will be used instead of tar oils and water borne preservatives wherever possible and subject to customer approval
Species such as European Oak, Sweet Chestnut, European Larch and Teak will be used for external use wherever possible and subject to the customers approval

9 Solar Energy

It is the policy of the Company to actively promote the use of sustainable alternative energy sources for all customers and to ensure it provides the utmost assistance in researching and applying for grants on the customers’ behalf.

1.0 Photovoltaic Systems

Wherever it is deemed financially viable the Company will encourage the incorporation of PV systems into the design or development of properties, particularly for commercial customers. The Company will support all its customers wishing to install such systems by:

Research grants from central government, local authorities, and energy suppliers
Assist customers in gaining planning permission for both the PV system installation and connection to the local electricity grid, if not a stand-alone system.
Employing specialist surveyors to identify the most suitable cell type and optimum number of panels, including their location, tilt, angle and orientation
Assist customers in obtaining permission to remove trees and vegetation that may impede upon the effectiveness of the PV systems
Using only fully qualified and certified NICEIC installers to connect electricity supply to the mains supply

2.0 Solar Water Heating

The Company will actively encourage all of its customers to adopt a solar water heating system, whether it be flat plate or evacuated tubes, for use within their properties and will support all of its customers wishing to install such systems by:

Researching grants from central government, local authorities, and energy suppliers
Assist customers in gaining planning permission to install either a solar flat plate or evacuated tubes
Assist customers in obtaining permission to remove trees and vegetation that may impede upon the effectiveness of the solar water heating system
Using only fully qualified and certified installers to connect electricity to the water heating supply

3.0 Passive Solar

When conducting new builds, the Company will incorporate passive solar design as a primary feature of the project by ensure the location and orientation of the property are such that they maximise the solar exposure of the building (subject to the limitations of the project/location). The glazing and materials used for such properties will be designed to maximise free solar gains to support this effort.

10 Insulation

It is the policy of the Company to actively encourage all customers to invest in insulation for their property and to assist them in gaining grants and funding for such action from both local and central government.

The Company will implement the following measures for all new build and refurbishments as standard unless otherwise instructed by the customer:

Install either a reclaimed wool or paper insulation for lofts with a minimum depth of 250mm
Insulate all loft hatches, pipes and tanks for loft conversions using either reclaimed wool or paper insulation with a minimum depth of 250mm
Ensure all insulation materials have a Low Ozone Depletion Potential rating
Use hardwood window frames in place of PVC
Install either double or triple glazing depending upon weather exposure of window and ensure glass has a low level of emissive coating and gas filling
Monitor and control the level of ridging within the building, particularly at junctions between walls, the roof, floors and around openings
Install ground floor insulation using either reclaimed wool or paper with a minimum depth of 200mm
Pressure test properties to identify leakages within the structure and treat leakage accordingly
Install either Passive Stack Ventilation, Assisted Passive Stack Ventilation or Heat Recovery Ventilation within the property and ensure that the unit and duct work are within the insulated/airtight shell

The Company will recommend either some or all the above measures for all customers subject to their approval and budget.

It is the policy of the Company to ensure that it offers a fully comprehensive draught proofing and ventilation service to all its customers so that they can achieve maximum climate control with the minimum use of fuel and carbon expenditure.

In accordance with the above policy, the Company will ensure that the following is standard to all its work unless otherwise stated by the customer:

All doors and windows are thoroughly draught proofed
All suspended wooden floors are insulated ensuring that the void is well ventilated
All insulation for either the roof or between floors is either reclaimed wool or paper and a minimum
of 250mm thick throughout
All pipework and hot water cylinders are thoroughly insulated

In addition to these standard measures, the Company will actively encourage all customers to consider the following:

Cavity wall insulation, which the Company will assist the customer in applying for local government grants and selecting an appropriate installer
Insulate all unseen openings such as disused chimneys
Install controlled ventilation to control condensation and recycling of the properties air flow
Pressure tests to identify areas of the property where unnecessary heat is being lost
Installing environment and air flow management systems to be used in conjunction with a fully sealed and insulated property

11 Environmentally Friendly Options

It is the policy of the Company to offer its customers the facility to install environmentally friendly and organic internal fixtures for their properties.

Due to the enlarged cost of such items, the Company will always consult the customer prior to using any of the following products, however the Company will actively stress the environmental and health benefits of utilising such products over cheaper alternatives.

Laminate wood flooring in place of carpets
Linoleum instead of vinyl flooring
Installing active sensor controls for lighting within large residential and commercial properties
Organic based water-soluble decorating products
Low emission paints and finishes
Install only A+ or A++ rated white goods
Use Eco-friendly homeware
Organic furnishings
Cavity reduction and insulation between floors

12 Lighting

It is the policy of the Company to fit and design external lighting systems that minimise the disturbance to neighbours whilst maximising their effectiveness using the least amount of power possible.

The Company installs the following to all new builds and renovations as standard unless otherwise specified by the customer, and strongly recommends that all of its customers adopt the same methods:

Utilise trees, hedges, and shrubs to minimise light pollution to other properties
Supply and Install LED lighting instead of halogen, to maximise coverage and provide practical lighting whilst reducing light pollution and minimising power usage and the life of the bulbs
Encourage the use of UV powered lighting for exterior decoration purposes
Fit heat activated sensors instead of standard IR beam sensors to control lighting
Position lighting so as not to unnecessarily disturb neighbouring properties

13 Landscaping

It is the policy of the Company to provide ecologically sound landscape gardening services wherever possible that minimise the disruption to the local environment, promote a suitable environment for local wildlife, and do not overly burden natural resources.

During the planning phase of any landscape gardening project, the Company will endeavour to advise the customer of the following points:

The impact of the proposed work upon pre-existing trees, hedgerows, and specific features
The suitability of the current environment to support proposed vegetation
The availability of proposed building materials and the environmental impact and cost of supplying non-indigenous materials
Plans for accommodating/promoting local wildlife
The level of physical and resource (e.g. water) maintenance for the proposed garden

When designing landscape gardens for new builds and renovations, the Company will conduct the following as standard unless specified directly by the customer:

Endeavour to protect and retain existing hedges and trees
Select and plant draught resistant species and mulches to minimise water usage in the garden and reduce the strain on surface water drains during storms
Use locally produced stone works and timbers to reduce transportation impact
Utilise dry stone walling wherever possible to promote micro ecosystems (e.g. insects)
Create wild areas using native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers subject to space availability
Salvage and reuse the majority of the topsoil during landscape work, or if not possible then try to relocate to another site
Plant herbs and lavenders to encourage local wildlife
Create ponds/water features/miniature wetlands to encourage wildlife where possible
Create composite heaps for garden waste
Fit a stop butt and excess surface water tank for watering garden (subject to space)
Install bird and bat boxes and/or bird tables to encourage local wildlife

14 Electricity

It is the policy of the Company to ensure that it takes all reasonable measures to minimise its usage of electricity during its normal daily activities, and to promote electricity saving products and methods during its building operations.

Throughout all areas of the Company’s operations the following methods will be employed unless otherwise specified by the customer:

Energy saving light bulbs will be used in place of standard light bulbs
All electrical equipment and/or appliances will be switched off rather than placed in a standby mode when not in use
Only A/A+ appliances will be installed for refrigeration/freezing of foods
Dedicated compact fluorescent lighting will be installed instead of standard tungsten lighting
Only low standby loss equipment will be purchased particularly for TVs, computers, cookers, and DVD players
Reduce the effect of electromagnetic fibres when rewiring

In addition to these measures, the Company will freely advise the customer on whether they would substantially benefit from either a specific clothes drying space or cold room for food storage within their property, in order to avoid the need to purchase expensive refrigeration or clothes drying equipment

15 Water

It is the policy of the Company to ensure that the volume of wastewater generated through its daily operations is efficiently managed and monitored to identify key areas of waste and allow measures to be instigated to reduce usage.

To this end, the Company will during its normal daily operations instigate the following measures:

Fit cistern displacement devices to existing cisterns on its sites
Fit flush reduction devices to existing WC’s on its sites
Restrict excessive dead legs on hot water outlets to no more than 5 metres

The Company will offer free advice to all of its customers regarding methods of effectively managing wastewater and will install the following as standard on all new builds and refurbishments unless otherwise stated by the customer:

Cistern displacement devices to all cisterns (existing and new)
Flush reduction devices to all WC’s (existing and new)
Flow regulators on basin taps and showers, if the water supply is fed directly from the mains
Showers with a maximum usage of 9 litres per minute
Water butts to generate a source of water for external use in either watering gardens or cleaning cars etc.
Plant draught resistant species and mulches to minimise water usage in the garden and also reduce the strain on surface water drains during storms
Water meters

In addition, the Company will provide free water usage assessments for all customers and strongly recommend the installation and use of the following water saving devices (subject to their practicality for the customer’s needs):

WC models with an efficient flush of 4.5 litres or less
Dishwashers with a capacity of 16 litres per cycle or less
Washing Machines with a capacity of 50 litres or less
Rainwater Harvest Systems
Grey-water Harvest Systems

16 Transport

It is the policy of the Company to ensure that it effectively monitors and controls its transport usage to minimise the environmental impact wherever possible.

During the course of its normal daily activities the Company will, whenever possible, ensure that:

Deliveries are provided by the supplier of materials during their normal round of drops
Company collection and delivery of materials is strictly authorised on a case-by-case basis and only approved where a delay in the receipt of materials would adversely impact on the building work
Train all Company drivers in gear selection to minimise fuel usage

In line with its position of reducing environmental impact from vehicle use the Company actively encourages:

Personnel to utilise public transport, wherever possible
Personnel to utilise greener alternative transport such as bicycles and will provide adequate facilities to safely accommodate such equipment on site
Car share schemes for personnel who must attend sites where either the public transport system or loads to be carried would make it impracticable not to use a vehicle

It is the policy of the Company to ensure that it purchases and recommends the purchase of the most economical and environmentally friendly white goods available on the market:

The Company will only purchase A or A+ rated white goods for business use
The Company will install only A or A+ rated white goods on all new builds or renovations unless instructed differently by the customer
The Company will wherever possible recycle all white goods ensuring that only reputable and recognised merchants are used
The Company will always attempt to repair or upgrade all white goods unless to do so would be economically unviable whereby it will refer the goods to recycling

17 Office Management

It is the policy of the Company to minimise the environmental impact of its office functions from its normal daily activities. To achieve this, the Company has established the following methods and systems to monitor and control its office activities:

1.0 Paper Management:

Utilise recycled paper for day-to-day document production
Salvage and utilise paper as scrap for rough work wherever data protection allows
Ensure all wastepaper is recycled subject to sensitive documents covered under the Data Protection Act being shredded
Maximise all data transfers electronically rather than in paper form
Reuse large business envelopes wherever possible

2.0 Computer & Electrical Equipment Management

Energy saving light bulbs installed throughout the office
Recycle printer ink cartridges to be refilled and reused within the Company
Utilise flash drives for data transfers between computers and for temporary storage of files
Ensure all computers operate a operate a standby/power save mode
Purchase only new electrical equipment with a low standby loss value
Ensure that all electrical equipment is turned off when not in us

Signed: S. Alderson
Date: 17/05/2021
Managing Director

Review Date: 17/05/2023