This guide, downloadable here, provides an overview for community groups that wish to incorporate sustainability practice within their plans for a new or renovated community building.

It outlines the main sustainability issues and choices that you will come across, and have to make decisions about, in the design and construction phase. The guide is based on experience of communities, professional developers and the agencies. While not aiming to be totally comprehensive, it signposts communities to guidance and advice sources which can be tailored to individual project and community circumstances.

Please be aware that sustainability is a vast subject area and an evolving specialism, and options available for communities are likely to change. The guide is based on information available at the time of writing and circumstances may subsequently change.