Our Environment
Policy

We are committed to a policy that will lead to minimising the adverse impact of our activities upon the environment and on the quality of life of the local communities in which we live and work.

The company recognises the need to comply with all legislation and achieved ISO14001 in 2020 proving the company's commitment to protect the environment. The company will endeavour to utilise policies and procedures that will ensure conservation of natural resources whilst minimising any adverse environmental impact from our roofing operations. Conservation of our natural resources must begin with waste reduction and recycling.

The company will strive to ensure that any adverse impact on the environment or quality of life is minimised during the company’s activities and will include where possible the storage, transportation and disposal of products and waste. We will endeavour to keep waste to a minimum and where possible, segregate waste for recycling using only competent and authorised waste management companies for disposal. Noise is a pollutant and we will strive to keep it to a minimum wherever and whenever we are working.

We will aim to continually monitor environmental issues and endeavour to improve our performance in line with current best practice. The effectiveness of this policy will be monitored on a regular basis, with a formal review annually. The policy will be revised as appropriate to reflect any changes in Legislation and in particular to maintain it effectiveness in protecting the environment in respect of our roofing activities. All employees will be made aware of this policy and is available to our clients as necessary.

The management Team carries out monthly meetings to review the internal audits and close down any issues.

Environmental Surveys

Bats

Bats can hold up projects for months and it is an offence for any person to:

• Deliberately capture, injure or kill a bat.
• Intentionally or recklessly disturb bats, where that disturbance may affect the ability of those bats to survive, breed, rear or nurture their young, or is likely to significantly impact on the local distribution or abundance of any bat species, whether in a roost or not.
• Damage or destroy a place of shelter (roost) of a bat, be that a resting or breeding place — regardless of whether bats are present or not.
• Possess a bat, whole or in part, alive or dead.
• Obstruct access to a roost.

A bat survey will determine what species of bat are present, estimate numbers of bats, find bat access points, and assess how and when bats are using the building.

Thorough planning and realistic timescales are essential when undertaking building works, but this is never more so than when they involve buildings with bats.

Bats do not prevent building works from going ahead or delay them but discovering bats when works have started could cause expensive delays to your work and may lead to prosecution. Early involvement of a bat specialist allows for bats to be accounted for in the project design, schedule and budget – so no unexpected surprises!

Swifts

Swifts were added to the Red list in the 2021 UK Conservation Status Report. Red is the highest conservation priority, with species on this list needing urgent action. Species on this list, such as swifts, are globally threatened, with big declines in breeding populations and ranges.

Swifts usually breed in suburban areas in older buildings. The nest can typically be found inside a cavity in the roof space or within the walls of buildings.

If you discover birds flying rapidly around the roof of the building making lots of noise - known as a screaming party - this is a strong indicator that swifts have formed a nest in your property. Swifts happily live alongside people, and urban residents enjoy their company. The RSPB are encouraging people to install swift nesting boxes to provide accommodation for swifts and their young.

In 2021 we teamed up with Hastings and Rother Swift Conservation Group, East Sussex County Council, Swift Conservation and Action for Swifts to drive forward an exciting and ambitious plan to have Swifts nesting in the Clock Tower of the Public Library in Battle, East Sussex. We completed our reroofing work at the end of 2021 and helped install 12 bespoke swift bricks into the brickwork just under the spire roof of the library.

Swift Conservation advise that this is only the fourth UK Public Library to have Swifts nest places installed in it that they know of. The others are at Cullompton in Devon, Antrim and Bournemouth.