A LEADING North East builder has launched a three-year strategy to make its developments as habitable for wildlife as they for humans.
Miller Homes’ Sustainability Strategy is part of a roadmap towards meeting its target of net zero across the whole organisation by 2045.
And the company believes working in harmony with nature is integral in ensuring its homes become the foundation for fully sustainable communities.
Its commitment starts with site selection, with habitat protection built into planning from the earliest stages.
Although planning requirements now routinely include provisions such as bat and insect bricks, Miller Homes provides a range additional features within its developments.
These include nesting bricks for endangered bird species, providing access routes for hedgehogs and using surface water drainage ponds to create habitats for insects, amphibians and other wildlife.
Along with protecting wildlife, the Sustainability Strategy informs decisions on everything from materials used in constructing and equipping new homes to access and the use of locally sourced labour and energy efficient utilities.
Research by the Zero Carbon Hub and the NHBC Foundation has established that new build homes are more than 50 per cent more energy efficient than renovated older properties.
The electricity supply in place, when each new home is handed over to its owner, comes from at least 90 per cent renewables.
And low energy or LED lighting is installed to reduce electricity consumption and dual flush toilets and aerated showers help homeowners minimise water use.
On site, the company uses electricity only from suppliers that draw on at least 90 per cent renewable sources and, where possible, uses local contractors and tradesmen, to support the community.
Integration with services and amenities is essential and 86 per cent of Miller’s current homes are within 500 metres of a public transport node.
Miller Homes are built using only sustainably grown timber In our homes, while kitchens are fully certified to Forestry Stewardship Council standards.
The company also recycles 70 per cent of its construction waste – diverting a remarkable 98 per cent of it from landfill – and, in 2024, its programme to protect resources actually reduced waste by more than a tonne for every home it built.
“At Miller Homes, we’re not just building houses, we’re creating the foundations of sustainable communities designed to thrive for generations,” said Lauren Angus, sales director at Miller Homes North East.
“Working in harmony with the natural environment and following the science on protecting the future brings benefits for our customers, the community and ourselves.”
For more information on Miller Homes’ developments in the North East visit: https://www.millerhomes.co.uk/locations/north-east-of-england.aspx