Economic
Objective:
Inclusive Prosperity
Overview
The Economic capital relates to the long-term viability of our organisation and the Strategic Sites we retain and operate.
Why it matters
We believe that a successful project seeks to create economic value not just for Urban&Civic, its partners and customers but also for wider society. As such, a fundamental element of our approach is to leverage our investment, skills and engagement to enable a demonstrable return for all stakeholders, while ensuring a “just transition” that improves lives and livelihoods and avoids deepening any existing inequalities.
Within our metrics, we have chosen to focus on key areas including the generation of good-quality employment, contracting with local and regional contractors, collaboration with local small and medium-sized businesses and promotion of agile innovation.
Action areas
- Good quality employment
- Economic inclusion
- Promotion of local economic growth
Good quality employment
Driving prosperity for us means improving the welfare of all people with whom we interact. We are committed to generating good quality, long-term jobs for people living in our local areas, providing real opportunities to increase skills and stability. Our supply chain is critical to achieve this.
Target
2025 target:
- All contractors directly employed by Urban&Civic and housebuilders employed under licence paid the Real Living Wage as contracted in accordance with Urban&Civic’s Ethical Labour Policy.
Performance
100% of directly employed contractors were paid the Real Living Wage in 2023/24, in line with the 2025 target.
Graph recording the percentage of contractors directly employed by Urban&Civic, employed in accordance with our Ethical Labour Policy and making positive declarations to paying the Real Living Wage.
Economic inclusion
In line with “shared value” approaches, we intend to actively incorporate local businesses into the Urban&Civic family by procuring businesses near to our sites. We have taken this step for many years and are keen to formalise it in our Framework, aware of the many advantages it brings. Local procurement can reduce transport related carbon emissions and improve the health and wellbeing of those employed by nearby suppliers thanks to shorter commuting times. It is also highly beneficial when we consider the long-term economic impacts of our development sites in the context of the location where they exist.
Target
2025 target:
- At least 80% of the total value of direct contracts was placed with principal contractors whose offices are within 40 miles of the site.
Performance
The average score for all sites in delivery has now increased to 93% against a 80% 2025 target. The target was met by all seven of the Strategic Sites included in the assessment.
Graph showing the percentage of the total value of direct contracts placed with principal contractors whose offices are within 40 miles of the site
Promotion of local economic growth
Nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship, both within our business and when working in the communities we are developing, is essential for us to play our part in promoting local economic growth. It is people’s ideas that fuel innovation, so fostering a culture of creativity, as well as sharing information, celebrating innovative solutions and highlighting lessons learnt, is key.
We have defined six initiatives to help our sites in meeting our 2025 target, including providing pop-up/permanent space, contracts and opportunities, business awards/sponsorship, seminars and workshops, being part of local business groups and forums, and marketing and promotional support.
Target
2026 target:
- All strategic land sites in delivery actively promote local businesses and start-ups to help cultivate entrepreneurship and economic growth, and annually publish initiatives together with key learnings.
Performance
100%
In 2024/25, all of the seven sites assessed had met the target to actively promote local businesses and start-ups.
New sustainability metrics 2026-30
Sustainable Development
Support local positive economic outcomes for our communities and supply chain, both during development and in use, through leveraging our investment in skills, engagement and procurement activities.
Our new 2030 sustainability metrics under the Economic capital that we will now work towards as part of our journey to create sustainable communities and deliver our wider sustainability ambitions are set out below. The rationale for revising the metrics will be described in the update to our Sustainability Framework to be published in 2026. The new metrics will apply to the current sites in delivery and those commencing on site within the next five years.
Employment and skills opportunities
- Facilitate the employment of two new apprentices per year across the business either directly or in collaboration with direct contractors and subcontractors. (U&C sites)
- Host or sponsor four events or initiatives per year to support skills development and raise awareness of career opportunities in the industry. (Catesby sites)
Sustainable procurement
- 95 per cent of construction contracts to have a minimum of 10 per cent weighting attributed to an assessment of the contractor’s project specific sustainability proposals.
Promotion of local economic growth
- All sites to develop and implement a Community Economic Development Strategy containing site specific obligations with regards to the local authority’s economic development strategy and report annually the impact from the actions taken.
Case studies
Putting care at the district heart of the community
Priors Hall Park is the first of our sites to open a luxury 66 bed care home, located next to the district centre with views overlooking the amphitheatre and gulley wildlife site.
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U&C and Buckingham collaborate to slash Co2 emissions
Urban&Civic and Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd (Buckingham) agreed an innovative, collaborative cost sharing agreement to use 1 million litres of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) instead of diesel for earthmoving at Priors Hall Park.
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Sharing sustainability knowledge at Houlton
Advances in sustainability are not possible without creative approaches to collaboration and financing. For long-term success, parties must work together to solve the most challenging problems.
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New district centre for Priors Hall Park
2021 saw a series of major additions to Priors Hall Park’s amenities with the opening of a new District Centre, providing the community with everything they could need just a short walk away.
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First impressions; early engagement and partnerships at Manydown
Over the last twelve months Urban&Civic team members have attended numerous parish council and community group meetings, either virtually or physically where circumstances allowed, to introduce the partnership and discuss the issues that are important to neighbouring communities.
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Christmas Wreaths
Over 70 families at Middlebeck received a free Christmas wreath during 2020 for families to enjoy and proudly display on their front doors throughout December.
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Local Centre (Co-op)
Co-op became the first local convenience store at Houlton in September 2021. The opening event saw children from Houlton’s St Gabriel’s Primary School attend to cut the ribbon. In preparation for the opening of the store, the children had also created artwork for the interior fit out which is displayed for staff and customers to enjoy while they shop.
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Giving apprentices the EDGE
EDGE has now delivered IAG to over 774 local job seekers, many of whom have gone onto employment, volunteering or training & education as a result of our interventions.
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Career change opportunities in construction
The Spring 2019 Green Team, funded by Urban&Civic and EDGE Construction Skills Centre, saw the transformation of the Margaret Wright Community Orchard in the Abbey Ward. Over the course of 14 weeks, the team learned new skills and constructed a paved disabled access pathway, a raised stage area, two ponds, a rockery and three shed platforms as well as constructing four large raised planters.
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Wealds on the Bus clock up 10,000 trips
The Alconbury Weald team has worked in partnership with the local authority and Huntingdon-based Dews Coaches to launch a new bus service, the AW1.
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Green skills remain a part of the landscape at Wintringham
Volunteers taking part in Groundwork’s latest Green Team project spent four weeks building, installing and planting pots and planters along Pelham Road and outside the new Urban&Civic office.
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Calling all cycling smoothies
The long awaited launch of the Middlebeck cycle hub was a huge success in July, with local residents attending from across Newark to get their bike serviced and to participate in the celebrations.
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Urban&Civic and Catesby come together in a new office at Houlton
2022 saw the relocation of the Houlton Project Team and the Head Office of Catesby Estates, to the newly constructed Orchard House, an office space in the heart of Dollman Farm, close to the The Tuning Fork and directly above Houlton’s Co-Op.
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