Sustainable Development
New Greenham Park and sustainability
Sustainable Development
In 1987 the United Nations released the Brundtland Report, also referred to as "Our Common Future". The report was in response to worldwide concern regarding mankind‘s ability to maintain economic development without causing irreversible damage to the environment or exhausting the world‘s natural resources.
The Brundtland Report defines sustainable development as ‘development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs‘.
Greenham Common Trust and its plans for New Greenham Park as a sustainable development
In April 2003 and again in April 2008 The Queen‘s Award Office announced that Greenham Common Trust had been granted the Queen‘s Award For Enterprise: Sustainable Development, for its work in creating a sustainable commercial development, the management of which makes a significant contribution to the prosperity of the wider community by improving the local environment and producing a flow of income that is distributed through charitable awards. Click here to see the news story.
Central to Greenham Common Trust‘s management of New Greenham Park and the original concepts behind the regeneration of the airbase was the realisation that to succeed it had to become a sustainable commercial development. From the outset it was considered fundamental that New Greenham Park would:
- Endow a secure future for Greenham Common through its restoration as a natural resource for the community. See the restoration page for details.
- Become a development of tangible social value.
- Produce a stable, long-term flow of income, allowing charitable awards that would contribute to a better quality of life for members of the community.
- Encourage innovative industry and commerce.
- Provide diverse employment opportunities in a pleasant, safe and accessible working environment.
- Create a location where art and commerce would come together.
The Trust‘s management approach is focused on the long-term goals of social progress, economic growth with ecological balance. The Trust has always understood that these can only be achieved by working in close partnership with local and regional communities and by regenerating the business park in an environmentally friendly manner whilst maintaining equilibrium between financial inputs and outputs.
Greenham Common Trust is committed to the continued protection and enhancement of the natural environment, the support of charitable organisations, long-term social projects and the provision of a thriving campus for business, recreation and the arts.
The Trust‘s aim is the creation of a new type of business park, that meets society‘s needs, minimises environmental impact and makes a real difference to people‘s lives through the generation of charitable funds.
Greenham Common Trust will make a major contribution to the fortunes and lives of the whole community for generations to come.
When Greenham Common Trust was formed in 1997, we had a bold vision of managing a business park in an innovative and exciting manner that would enable it to add to the wealth and prosperity of the wider community and we believe that New Greenham Park now provides a blue print for sustainable urban regeneration.
Further recognition of Greenham Common Trust‘s work at New Greenham Park arrived in November 2004, when it was presented with “Sustainable Social Enterprise” at the Sustainable Business Awards for the South East 2004, organised by SEEDA (South East England Development Agency). See our news pages for further information.
SEEDA has published a Sustainable Development report into the work of Greenham Common Trust at New Greenham Park.
In 2008 Greenham Common Trust launched an online educational resource, www.sustainable-greenham.org regarding the restoration of Greenham Common and the transformation of the former airbase into New Greenham Park. Click here to read the news story.
Find out more about sustainability:
The Encyclopedia of Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development International
Sustainable Development Commission
Sustainable Development - the UK Government‘s approach
United Nations Division for Sustainable Development
The Queen‘s Award Office - Sustainable Development
Related Links
Restoration of Greenham Common
The
Living Rainforest, Newbury
Sustainable
Greenham website
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Revision Number: 2.6 Created: 07/02/2005 14:38:27 Modified: 30/03/2006 11:52:29