A sustainable community can be described as one which has ‘a virtuous balance of economic growth and social progress with a light environmental footprint’. Or in other words, a sustainable community should be a place in which people can achieve a good life/work balance in a positive atmosphere without having an unduly detrimental effect on the local and global environment. Building developments should respect the environmental limits of a site not allowing, for example, building on flood plains and dealing carefully with water demand, waste and sewage.
The Communities Plan from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister supports the concept of a sustainable community and is a £22 billion programme to improve housing and public spaces in the South East and abandoned inner cities in the North and Midlands. It is the programme’s aim to ensure that these communities offer decent homes at affordable prices, good public transport, schools, hospitals, shops, a clean and safe environment and open public spaces. The Communities and Local Government website contains more information on the idea of a sustainable community and the government programme in support of this. In October 2007 the Sustainable Communities Act came into force which promotes the sustainability of local communities.
The government has also set up an Academy for Sustainable Communities in Leeds, which aims to improve the skills, knowledge and behaviour needed to deliver and maintain a sustainable community.
Our sustainable building page contains information relating to the sustainability of individual buildings and larger developments. As housing continues to be in demand resulting in high rates of building, it is important to consider the longer term impact of such developments both in terms of community life and the environment.
Source: www.communities.gov.uk 2009
