SUSTAINABILITY AND ESG
BEING CONSIDERATE TO COMMUNITIES, ENHANCING HABITATS AND MAXIMISING BIODIVERSITY
Our Environmental Team has a wide remit, and their work supports our Sustainability Strategy’s Planet Pillar umbrella. Each year, we seek to improve the way we benchmark, monitor and report our sustainability KPIs to continuously reduce the impact of our sites and offices and we continuously research, trial and roll out equipment and initiatives.
We’re extremely proud that some of these activities are award winning. We talk about more 2024 accolades related to our people and educational outreach on page 15.
One new pledge in our refreshed Sustainability Strategy is to focus even more on environmental initiatives to enhance Biodiversity Net Gain. For example, planting wildflowers to encourage bee pollination, reusing wood waste to create and install bird boxes, bat boxes and bug hotels. Scroll down to read about a selection of projects.
98.8% waste diverted from landfill* *accredited by Achilles
environmental training hours delivered to Winvic staff
ENVIRONMENTAL BEST PRACTICE AWARDS
The revolutionary combined noise and dust monitoring equipment that has Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology integrated – not been previously utilised in the UK construction sector – won a Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice at the very end of last year and this year we have been recognised by the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS).
Our entry on the successful use of the AI-enabled monitor was selected as a finalist for the Best ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Practices Award. Each noise monitor not only captures audio clips when any noise exceedance limit is detected, but it also identifies different sources of noise – for example sirens, vehicles, birds or machinery. The recordings are automatically stored on a cloud-based system that is accessible to Winvic’s operational teams for playback and investigation but also the apparatus is equipped with a 4G SIM card. This allows a text and email with the corresponding sound recording to be immediately sent to nominated team members if a noise exceeds the set level.
It’s always an honour to reach the finals of any award, and we’re proud that we scooped six CCS Leading Lights Awards at the end of 2023 and a staggering nine CCS National Site Awards in May, which you may have read about on the previous page.
ENRICHING WILDLIFE IN BLETCHLEY
22 trees, 123 metres of hedging and 1,213 shrubs were planted at the residential led development Bletchley View, which we talk about on page 10, as part of its landscaping and arboriculture plan. We also constructed a 182 metre Redway, which limits the need for vehicles and creates safer pedestrian and cyclist friendly areas.
The ecological design strategy included the installation of a hedgehog house in a secluded area near the five-storey building. This area was chosen because there is vegetation readily available for hedgehogs to use and make the wooden house a home. We have also strategically placed 40 swift boxes across the on western, northern and eastern elevations of the development, all over six metres above ground level and under eaves, which have a clear access and drop. The boxes have been placed in groups in close proximity because swifts are colonial nesters.
swift boxes installed
22 trees and 1213 shrubs were planted
If you look closely between the south-east and south-west of the buildings, you’ll be able to see a bee brick installed in an area close to vegetation that is suitable for bees to forage. The local bees and other invertebrates will also love Bletchley View’s green roof tops, and the birds and bats will in turn love finding these species for their dinner. A native wildflower and sedum species planting mix was used specifically to attract wildlife.
SAVING CARBON AND MAKING BUG HOTELS FROM RECYCLED WOOD
At the Symmetry Park Rugby project – detailed on page 7 – the team engaged with Community Wood Recycling (CWR), which is made up of 28 social enterprises that help save carbon and offer workplace opportunities to disadvantaged people. This fabulous non-profit removed a total of 4.8 tonnes waste timber from the site and four tonnes of this was utilised by the NCWRP team to make a bug hotel.
We provided the materials for three days of bug hotel construction training for CWR workers and their creation was bought by the site and installed as part of the final landscape design. Our partnership with CWR helps to support a circular economy and the additional 0.8 tonnes waste wood was used in the manufacture of particleboard and animal bedding. Approximately two tonnes of CO2 was saved by us recycling the wood during the third phase of Symmetry Park Rugby.
Enough timber supplied for 3 days of training
2 tonnes CO2 saved
4.8 tonnes waste wood recycled
A NEW HOME FOR MRS HEDGEHOG AND HER HOGLETS
Demolishing an existing bungalow was one element of the works at our Civils and Infrastructure project Prologis Park Wellingborough West Zone C & D Phase 1, but before getting started we undertook a bat survey to make sure none were roosting. We didn’t discover any flying creatures, but instead we found 1 mother hedgehog and 4 hoglets in one of the rooms.
The site team contacted a local hedgehog rescuer, Hoggieworts, who carefully took them away from the site to be taken care of. We made a donation of £200 and green supply chain partner Wordsworth Excavations matched this donation to ensure the hedgehogs are looked after comfortably.
OUR ENVIRONMENTAL TEAM TAKE A DAY TO PAINT AT CRW
As we explained on page 12, we introduced an Employee Volunteering Policy, which enables our employees to volunteer their time and talents for a day to a recognised charity or not-for-profit organisations and still be paid to make a positive difference in their local communities.
Our Environmental Team decided they would use their day as a group, and they chose to volunteer at The Wood Shack, a Community Wood Recycling (CWR) centre in Sutton Coldfield. They helped to paint a new wooden shed, which will be used for packing products made from waste wood and for hosting community events that will benefit vulnerable groups and local schools.
STRIVING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE WITH OUR EIGHT GREEN VALUES
In the same way that our Winvic Way ethos, our Doing It Right culture and our Sustainability Strategy guide the way we deliver construction and civil engineering projects, the Green Values we prioritise ensure we are always striving for a positive environmental impact.
Materials
Materials will be stored/ used to prevent wastage. Fuel, energy, and water will be used efficiently to reduce our carbon and water footprints.
Manage Risk
All sites will identify, assess, and manage their environmental risks.
Water
Site discharges will be authorised by competent site personnel to prevent pollution of surface water/ groundwater.
Waste
Wastes will be segregated. Duty of care requirements must be in place – transfer notes completed, waste carrier registrations verified, and disposal site permits, licences and exemptions obtained.
Biodiversity
Works will be planned/conducted to avoid harm to protected flora/ fauna. A competent ecologist will be consulted prior to ecologically sensitive works commencing.
Nuisance
Nuisance impacts on our neighbours (noise, odour, dust, traffic, vibration and light) will be minimised by adopting Best Practicable Means and will adhere to Council guidelines. Works will not breach permitted working hours without prior approval.
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous materials will be stored/ used correctly to avoid pollution. A spill response plan will be in place with trained spill responders on-site.
Cultural Heritage
Works on or near heritage sites/ buildings/ landscapes will be approved by competent personnel and conducted to prevent unauthorised damage.
Paul Thomas, Head of Environment
“We’re extremely proud of our environmental achievements, made possible through the commitment and dedication of our people to deliver excellence. Our remit is broad and we’re constantly exploring ways to minimise the environmental impact of our construction activities. For example, using AI-enabled noise and dust monitors to mitigate impacts upon our neighbours and automatic Pollution Containment Valves that activate when water quality thresholds are detected, reducing the risk of pollution. We strive to leave a positive environmental legacy by implementing biodiversity enhancement opportunities at every phase of our work. We will continue to seek innovative ways to reduce our impact and maximise opportunities to leave the areas we work in better than we found them.”