Chichester school children get a lesson on new build sustainability

Pupils of Chichester’s Birdham CE Primary School have been given the chance to learn about the importance of sustainability in housebuilding thanks to new homebuilder, Miller Homes Southern.

The homebuilder, whose Minerva Heights and Bracklesham Grove developments are located close to the school, hopes the presentation will raise awareness of the importance of sustainability as well as highlight the efforts organisations like Miller Homes are doing to change current misconceptions people may have of them.

Through an interactive presentation, and drawing on his 21 years’ experience within the industry,

Rob Collett, planning director at Miller Homes Southern, explained to the pupils what a sustainable home looks like and why this can help contribute to tackling the climate crisis.

Rob also explained how the team decides on what land to build on, the equipment each project demands and how new neighbourhoods, like its Minerva Heights development, help wildlife to thrive through the use of bat boxes, hedgehog highways and the planting of new trees and shrubs to attract bees, insects and birds.

Commenting on the school visit, Rob said:

“Teaching children about the different ways we can be sustainable is extremely important. Understandably, there’s a lot of discussion about how we can be kind to the environment, and how we each share a responsibility to do our bit. As a company, we’re committed to doing just that when we build our new neighbourhoods, so that children now and in the future can grow up to live in a safe, welcoming and thriving space.

“I was pleased to see that each of the pupils at Birdham showed a genuine interest in how we can help the environment with the smallest of changes. Taking this proactive approach with local schools allows us to help broaden their minds and inspire them to make small changes in their own homes.”

Miss Pottle, year four and five teacher at Birdham CE Primary School, added:

“The Miller Homes team were kind enough to volunteer an afternoon of their time to educate our children on the sustainability of modern homes. We appreciated Rob taking the time to describe the modern building techniques that Miller Homes employs in an effort to build more energy efficient homes for the future.

“The children were able to ask engaging questions to further their learning about the houses in our local area and, following the presentation, were asked to write up a report on what they had learnt. It’s been fascinating to see just what they took away from the afternoon, and it really shows how important these conversations are to have. On behalf of the school and the pupils, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Miller Homes.”

For more information on Miller Homes’ Minerva Heights, Bracklesham Grove developments and other Southern developments, click here.