Latimer wins gold award for second year as the UK’s most sustainable not-for-profit housebuilder
The development arm of Clarion Housing Group saw its overall score increase this year from 71 to 78, pushing the developer up to second place on the benchmark.
Latimer, the development arm of Clarion Housing Group, has once again been recognised as the UK’s most sustainable not-for-profit housebuilder, achieving the prestigious Gold Award from the NextGeneration Benchmark for the second consecutive year. Latimer saw its overall score increase this year from 71 to 78, pushing the developer up to second place on the benchmark, having previously been joint third.
The sustainability benchmark for the UK’s housebuilding sector, evaluates the social, economic, and environmental performance of the top 25 housebuilders plus any others that wish to participate. This benchmark sets out best practices and drives positive change across the industry. Latimer’s continued leadership in sustainability has cemented its position as a standout performer.
This year’s report highlights several significant achievements by Latimer:
- Excellence in Socio-Economic Development: Latimer improved its score by a remarkable 21% in this category, the highest of any housebuilder on the benchmark. This achievement reflects Latimer’s commitment to delivering homes and communities that enhance socio-economic outcomes for residents.
- Advancements in Circular Economy Practices: Latimer achieved a 13% increase in its score, again leading the way among housebuilders. This progress is underpinned by a 12.9% reduction in construction waste and the introduction of robust future targets to reduce waste by 5% annually through to 2030.
Latimer also maintains its position as the highest-ranked housing association developer in the benchmark. This result is a testament to Latimer’s ambitious sustainability strategy, which prioritises socio-economic development, environmental stewardship, and design excellence across its projects.
Latimer delivered over 1,500 new homes last year, with 67% for affordable tenures. Among its achievements, 47% of new homes were connected to solar photovoltaic systems generating clean energy, and 33% were fossil fuel free for heating and hot water, aligning with Latimer’s goal to make all new homes fossil fuel-free by the end of 2025.
Richard Cook, Group Director of Development at Clarion Housing Group, commented:
"To win the Gold Award for the second-year running is a tremendous achievement and a reflection of Latimer’s unwavering commitment to sustainability. I am incredibly proud of our team for their efforts in building communities that provide much-needed homes and addresses the pressing environmental and social challenges of our time."
Iona Deacon, Associate at JLL, added:
"Latimer’s consistent performance, securing a Gold Award for the second year and maintaining their position as one of the top-ranked housebuilders, demonstrates their commitment to tackling the climate crisis while creating sustainable communities. A particular highlight was Latimer ranking first place in the following sections, showing strong progress across environmental, social and governance issues: Environmental Site Management, Design Standards, Energy & Carbon, Circular Economy, Health & Safety, Community & Customer Engagement and Socio-Economic Development."
As the first UK affordable housing provider to adopt the pan-European Certified Sustainable Housing Label in 2019, Clarion Housing Group continues to lead the way in sustainability.
The organisation publishes an annual Making a Difference report, detailing its performance across a range of metrics, reinforcing its commitment to transparency and continuous improvement.