BREEAM Communities

What is the BREEAM Communities Standard?

This is an independent, third party assessment and certification standard based on the established BREEAM methodology. It addresses key environmental, social and economic sustainability objectives and planning policy requirements that have an impact on proposed development projects within the built environment. Credits are awarded in eight categories that directly align with the same categories in the West Midlands Sustainability Checklist. Performance against defined sustainability objectives and planning policy requirements in each of these categories results in credits that are then added together to produce a single overall score on a scale of Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent and Outstanding.

Using the West Midlands Checklist to register a ‘Compliant Assessment Framework’ for BREEAM Communities

The registration of a ‘compliant assessment framework’ is the first step and a mandatory requirement towards achieving certification for a development against the BREEAM Communities standard. The West Midlands Checklist is a recognised BREEAM compliant assessment framework that should be used to guide a development towards achieving certification against the BREEAM Communities standard.

Using the West Midlands Checklist to submit ‘Compliant Scheme Assessment’

The questions within each section of the West Midlands Checklist provide the core foundation from which specific sustainability objectives and relevant planning requirements can be established. You can use the regional Checklist as a free tool to check how your proposal measures up the BREEAM standards and credit scoring. Once you are happy that your scheme scores well against the Checklist you can submit it for:

• Interim BREEAM Communities Certificate – this is completed at the Outline Planning Stage (OPS). This stage is optional and your Regional assessment and credit score can be converted into an interim BREEAM Communities Certificate;
• Final BREEAM Communities Certificate – this is completed at the Detailed Planning Stage (DPS) so your Checklist report and score must be assessed and submitted by an accredited BREEAM Communities Assessor. [NB: it is far better for an assessor to start the assessment process at the design stage for a more assured, successful outcome. Please also note that the evidence required for a formal BREEAM assessment can be quite onerous, so again, it is easier to start this early and not retrospectively].