Port Sunlight Plans For A Green Future

TEP has helped Port Sunlight Village Trust (PSVT) launch its first environmental sustainability strategy, which is now starting to be implemented. The 10-year strategy covers several topics including energy, water, waste, transport, business and ‘greening the village’. Its focus is to reduce the organisation’s impact on the environment and encourage the community to do the same.

PSVT is an independent charitable trust responsible for preserving and promoting the historic village. Set up by Unilever in 1999, the Trust works with Port Sunlight’s residents to create a self-sustaining village for all who live, visit and work there. As much of Port Sunlight is designated as a Conservation Area, with over 900 listed buildings, it is important to ensure that any proposed sustainable solutions respect the historic fabric of the village and protect it for future generations.

PSVT commissioned TEP to create the Environmental Sustainability Strategy for all areas of the business, including the operation of the charity and village with its Conservation Area and many listed buildings. Its existing environmental policy states that:

The charity is committed to reducing its environmental impact year on year by improving the environmental performance of its activities;
Reducing the impacts to the environment from all areas of operation; and
Championing biodiversity and sustainability as part of its public programmes and management of the natural and designed heritage in its care.

The first step in the production of the Sustainability Strategy was a baseline report. TEP’s planning team established a baseline impact for all areas of PSVT’s operations including building maintenance and refurbishment, waste disposal, commuting, supply chain and staff development. TEP partnered with Element Sustainability, who undertook baseline thermal performance surveys from fourteen PSVT properties. In addition, three community surveys were undertaken and issued to the Trust’s workforce, contractors, and residents to gather their thoughts on sustainability.

Guided by the existing policies, baseline reports and public response, TEP produced a strategy that sets out a series of goals together with a strategic approach towards delivering the Trust’s ten-year Conservation Management Plan.

The six goals include:

To reduce the overall consumption of energy used in PSVT premises, improve energy performance in all PSVT owned residential properties and encourage village businesses, visitors and the community to use energy efficiently to reduce carbon emissions without adversely affecting the heritage character of the village.
To reduce the overall amount of waste produced by PSVT and increase the amount reused and recycled. PSVT will embed the principles of the waste hierarchy and encourage village businesses, visitors and the community to do the same.
To reduce the overall consumption of water used in PSVT premises and tenanted properties and encourage village businesses, visitors and the community to use water efficiently to reduce demand.
To encourage the PSVT workforce and the community to use sustainable and efficient modes of transport that decrease the reliance on the private car in order to reduce emissions and air pollution.
To reduce the impact of PSVT landscape maintenance on the environment, diversify the type of open space and planting to improve biodiversity and enhance the sense of community within the village.
To become a sustainable and inclusive business in all areas of operation and improve the knowledge and well-being of members of staff. Ensure sustainability is integrated into PSVT’s normal way of thinking.

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