The key to Scala’s success is identifying and acquiring greenfield land that’s likely to win planning permission for ’sustainable’ housing development. But what exactly are the criteria that define ’sustainable’?

There are several key factors we take into account. There’s the question of location. Nobody, least of all Scala, wants to see the countryside covered in a rash of housing, and so we look for sites which are not isolated but which are, on one or more sides, close to or linked to existing residential developments.

Then there’s house design. While architectural detail is not Scala’s role (that’s the task of the developer), our outline planning applications specify homes with reduced environmental impact through the use of the latest ideas to reduce carbon emissions, heat loss, water consumption, etc.

Next comes the question of transport. The car is a major contributor to greenhouse gases. By choosing sites close to existing public transport links, and near to amenities like schools, shops and places of work, we offer the planning authorities building options which minimise the number and length of car journeys.

There’s also the matter of utilities – gas, electricity, water and sewage. We select sites where connection points to essential services are close by, so that no disruption to existing networks is required.

Last, but not least, we look at the existing local environment. If land is liable to flood or to pollute water courses, if it is home to rare or threatened plant or animal populations, or if it has essential amenity value to the local community then we won’t acquire it. Our objective is to offer you land where people will want to live, and where they can do so with the least impact on the local and wider environment.