continued - Persimmon Homes

Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007

Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
About Persimmon
Persimmon is the UK’s leading housebuilder. In 2007, we sold 15,905 new homes. We have
34 operating businesses from Exeter to Edinburgh building a variety of homes across the
UK, from affordable starter homes to large family properties. We are committed to a
sustainable future, with environmental issues at the heart of what we do. This includes
protecting and improving local surroundings and adopting new technologies.
Our business operates under three main brands, Persimmon Homes, Charles Church
and Westbury Partnerships. The Persimmon Homes business is our core operation, with
24 regional Persimmon offices. Charles Church operates from a further nine regional
offices. Westbury Partnerships focuses on social housing, in conjunction with Space4,
our timber frame manufacturing operation.
Our strategy and approach
We aim to be a responsible housebuilder and embed the concept of sustainability into
our core operations. To facilitate this process we have defined six key responsibilities:
To build sustainable homes
(see page 2)
To operate efficiently to
minimise our impact on the
environment
(see page 12)
To develop close relationships
with local communities
(see page 16)
To promote skills within the
house building industry
(see page 22)
To ensure a healthy and safe
working environment
(see page 28)
To care for our customers
(see page 32)

Page 1 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Chief Executive’s welcome
Sustainability issues are becoming increasingly important
to our business. Our stakeholders expect us to behave in
a responsible manner and we have a duty to demonstrate
to them how we are discharging our responsibilities.
In particular, local authorities and planners expect us to
consider sustainability issues when we plan our developments
and build new homes.This is why I am pleased to introduce
our 2007 Sustainability Report.
We have strengthened our governance of sustainability
issues. In particular I am pleased that Neil Davidson, CBE,
a non-executive Director of Persimmon has agreed to chair
our Corporate Responsibility (CR) Committee. He brings
a wealth of business experience that I am sure he will apply
to help to develop our approach to sustainability across
the Group.
First and foremost we are a house building company.
We build good quality homes, at the right price and in
surroundings that people want to live and with features
that will enhance their quality of life. I believe that by taking
sustainability issues into account as we build our homes and
run our business, it will enhance the quality of our homes,
generate value for our investors and enable our customers
to reduce their impact on the environment.
However, as a business we must still apply the same level
of rigour and pragmatism that has made us so successful.
We must embrace the concept of sustainability, whilst being
commercial and taking our decisions based on the benefits to
our business and our customers. Sustainability at Persimmon
is about making good decisions and managing our risks.
This year has seen improvements in our performance,
but perhaps more importantly it has seen a shift in emphasis
towards sustainability issues within our business. We have
developed a new Sustainability Policy that outlines six
sustainability responsibilities. These are the guiding principles
by which we undertake our business. They provide us with
the clarity we need to embed sustainability throughout
the Group and respond positively to stakeholders’
expectations of us.
We continue to promote innovation, particularly the use
of modern methods of construction techniques, such as
our innovative Space4 system and technology such as those
trialled at our award winning Living-i project, to improve
the sustainability of the homes we build.
We are recycling more of the waste generated than ever
before, reducing our impact on the environment, whilst
also reducing our costs.
We built 40% more affordable homes in 2007, supporting
the Governments aim to build communities that are inclusive
and to provide affordable homes for those that need them.
We have launched our Safe Teams Avoid Risk (STAR)
health and safety campaign across the Group to raise the
awareness of safety and risk to our employees working
on sites. Consequently, despite growth in our business the
number of reportable incidents has not increased.
Our focus on customer care and quality control has
continued to benefit our business. 86% of our customer’s
responded to our customer satisfaction survey saying they
would recommend us to a friend, continuing the trend
of the past three years.
We have made significant progress during 2007 and 2008
will be no different. I am committed to our sustainability
responsibilities in the knowledge that by taking these into
account as we manage our business, in a pragmatic and
commercial way, it will contribute to future growth and
prosperity of the Group and its employees.
Mike Farley Group Chief Executive
25 February 2008

Page 2 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Building sustainable homes
The way we design and build our homes affects
how people choose to live and consequently their
impact on the environment and society.

Page 3 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
EcoHomes assessments on homes built
(%) 10
Homes assessed against EcoHomes
Other homes built
The homes we build last for a long time and the way they
are designed and built has an impact on how people choose
to live and consequently their impact on the environment
and society around them.
Whilst we do not wish to tell our customers how they
should live, we do have a responsibility to make sure that
the homes we build are efficient and enable their occupiers
to live in a sustainable way.
A home needs to be heated and kept warm, but the more
energy used to do this, the more carbon dioxide will be
emitted into the atmosphere contributing to climate change.
Building homes that are thermally and energy efficient helps
to reduce energy use. From a social point of view, we can
no longer assume that a family home is the ‘one size fits all’
solution it used to be and the modern homes we build need
to be flexible and adaptable to accommodate a variety of
family circumstances.
We design and build beyond current legislative standards and
building regulations, when it is appropriate. A good example
of this is our award winning Living-i project in Irlam, near
Manchester (described on page 10). This project, fully funded
by Persimmon, investigated the use of different technologies
and building techniques to build homes that are sustainable.
This has spearheaded our thinking and provided a testing
ground for new building concepts that we can apply to the
rest of our operations.
Moreover, local authorities and planners increasingly
expect us to take sustainability issues into account when we
plan our developments and build new homes. In this respect,
sustainability is now a key part of the way we do business.
Our risk management takes these impacts into account in
protecting and enhancing our reputation.
90
1,539 EcoHomes built
EcoHomes assessments
(1,539 homes assessed)
(%)
Pass or below
Good
Very good
Excellent
EcoHomes and the
Code for Sustainable Homes
The way we incorporate sustainable features into our homes
often depends on a variety of local factors. We work closely
with each local planning authority to understand these when
planning, designing and developing the communities we build.
Our regional structure allows us to be flexible, as many of
these factors can vary considerably between different local
planning authorities.
We do not try to apply a universal definition of what a
‘sustainable home’ is to our operating businesses, although
we do encourage them to share best practice of what
innovations work and which do not.
In many cases, we found that the Building Research
Establishment’s EcoHomes standards very useful in
benchmarking our homes. This EcoHomes standard balanced
the homes environmental performance, with the need
for the occupants quality of life and a safe and healthy
internal environment, whilst being flexible enough to take
into account a number of different factors, from energy use
to the transport infrastructure.
Consequently, EcoHomes provided ourselves, housing
associations and local authorities, with confirmation that the
homes we build are sustainable. In 2007, 1,539 of our homes
were assessed against the EcoHomes standard, of which 43%
achieved either a very good or excellent rating. EcoHomes
represented almost 10% of all the homes we built.
39
4
12
45

Page 4 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Building sustainable homes
continued
HydrO, St Neots
Committed to building ‘living communities’, our East
Midlands operating business is trialling Modern Methods
of Construction techniques at its HydrO development
in St Neots. Timber frames manufactured by Space4,
are being used to construct apartments offering quicker
construction and better thermal efficiency, compared to
traditional brick and block building.
In April 2007, the Code for Sustainable Homes replaced
EcoHomes for the assessment of new housing in England.
Whilst the Code is similar in some ways to the EcoHomes
standard, it is more comprehensive and requires mandatory
minimum levels of performance across six key areas,
including energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste
management and use of materials.
The Code has a scoring system of six levels. The different
levels are assessed on achieving both the appropriate
mandatory minimum standards and a proportion of the
‘flexible’ standards. Code Level 3 is approximately equal to
the EcoHomes very good score.
During 2007, we set up a working group with representatives
from across the business to review the implications of the
Code and to understand the commercial and operational
impacts of achieving each of the six levels. This work is
ongoing and we hope to provide more information on this
next year, particularly whether we may be able to set some
Group wide standards in this area.
Ridgeway Mews, Stoney Gate, Leicester
At this Charles Church development we have trialled
innovative new technology to promote energy efficiency
by using Air Source Heat Pumps as a way of improving
space heating. These pumps work on the same principle
as domestic refrigerators but in reverse. Heat Pumps are
efficient as they reuse heat, rather than convert it from a
fuel as in conventional heating systems.
Tackling Climate Change
Climate change is a significant issue facing businesses today,
and regardless of the science and uncertainty over the causes
of climate change, there is an overwhelming consensus that
the earth is warming. This could have impacts of global and
local significance.
Understanding the risks and impacts of climate change is
playing a growing role in business. Greenhouse gas emissions
are becoming more and more regulated, analysed and priced.
It is important that we stay abreast of these changes and their
implications for us as one of the UK’s leading housebuilders.
Moreover, our stakeholders have an expectation of us to
explain clearly how climate change may affect our business
and how we are tackling this issue.
In 2007 we developed our climate change position statement
that explains the key risks and opportunities for our business
from climate change, what we believe our responsibilities
to be and the actions we are taking to address these. Our
position statement can be found on our website at
www.persimmonhomes.com.

Page 5 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
We have three responsibilities in this area:
• Promoting efficient living:
Building quality sustainable homes and communities
for our customers, that are inherently energy efficient
and that encourage people to live in a way that minimises
their contribution to climate change.
• Building for the future:
Building homes that take into consideration the potential
need to adapt to changes in our climate and subsequent
impacts on the local environment in which they are built.
• Reducing emissions:
Minimising our contribution to climate change through
the reduction of emissions from our operational use of
energy and fuel.
Throughout our operations we use energy and fuel,
and consequently we generate carbon dioxide emissions,
a greenhouse gas and contributor to climate change.
We are in the process of measuring our own emissions
and setting appropriate targets for their reduction.
Cranbrook ‘Eco Town’, Exeter
We are working jointly with other housebuilders to
construct a new ‘eco town’ at Cranbrook in Exeter.
This new community will initially provide 3,500 homes
by 2016, of which 40% will be affordable and around
17% of the towns energy will come from renewable
sources. The new town – in which public buildings such
as schools will be powered by biomass boilers – will also
conform to the latest regulations on water use, building
materials and waste and was one of the first developments
in the UK to formally commit to meeting Level 3 of the
Government’s Code for Sustainable Homes. The town
will also have its own railway station to promote better
use of public transport.
However, our initial assessment has indicated that our carbon
footprint is very small when compared to the collective
emissions of all the homes we build each year. In 2007,
we built 15,905 homes all of which use energy to heat, light
and power them. As the homes we build are lived in for many
years, the carbon emissions associated with them over this
period will be far greater than our own operational emissions.
Whilst we will continue to seek ways to reduce our
operational emissions, we believe that the most significant
way in which we can contribute to reducing the impact
of climate change is to build houses that are efficient and that
encourage their occupants to live in a way that minimises
their contribution to climate change. Therefore, the main
thrust of our approach will focus on promoting the efficient
living element of our responsibilities in this area.

Page 6 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Building sustainable homes
continued
Design for Manufacture Competition, Prewit Park
Work has commenced on the Park Prewit ‘Design for Manufacture’ site. The Design for Manufacture Competition,
run by English Partnerships on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government aims to
demonstrate it is possible to build a high quality home for a construction cost of £60,000. We are building adaptable
homes that can change according to their occupier’s circumstances, in accordance with the ‘Lifetime Homes’ principles
(www.lifetimehomes.org.uk). These homes will also be built to the EcoHomes ‘very good’ standard. We are also monitoring
the environmental impacts of the house building process, such as the way we manage waste and encourage recycling,
and reviewing the development’s ‘carbon footprint’.
Fairfield Park, Stotfold, Bedfordshire
This development has been built to accommodate changes
to the way that modern families live their lives and how
they use their homes. For example all homes have
additional telephone and power sockets to enable residents
to work more easily from home. We have also provided
bicycle storage and constructed a series of cycle ways.
To encourage and enable residents to use other forms of
transport and reduce car journeys, we established a website
with relevant travel information, including bus timetables
and car sharing guidance.
Kingsway, Quedgley, Gloucester
Set on the southern boundary of Gloucester, Kingsway
is part of a consortium development offering customers
modern village living. As well as a new school, community
centre, shops, health and sport facilities it also includes
extensive play areas and parklands. Sustainability features
are high on the agenda for the homes built there, and all
homes have been built with waste separation bins
incorporated to encourage more recycling with the
minimum amount of inconvenience.

Page 7 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Average SAP rating
– 2004 to 2006 scale 0-120
– 2007 scale 0-100
92.3 93.5 94.5
Promoting energy efficiency
90.6
2004 2005 2006 2007
We have improved the average energy efficiency of our
homes in three ways: using energy efficient building
techniques, such as our innovative Space4 system, installing
innovative new technologies to prove their benefits, such
as at the Living-i project and adopting proven and cost
effective energy efficient technology across the Group.
To determine the energy efficiency of the homes we build
we monitor their Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP)
ratings. SAP ratings are essentially based on the energy
costs for space and water heating. They establish a means
for both the home owner and purchaser to understand the
running costs and environmental impact of the property.
SAP ratings also form the basis for calculating energy
efficiency for a Home Information Pack and the requirement
for us to provide our customers with Energy Performance
Certificates. We welcome this simplification and a more
straightforward way for us to communicate the energy
efficiency of our homes, akin to the A to G rating structure
for electrical appliances.
In 2007, we achieved an average SAP rating of 90.6.
However, it is important to note that the way SAP ratings
are calculated has recently been revised. Prior to this year,
SAP ratings were calculated on a scale from 0 to 120.
This has been changed to a scale of 0 to 100. Based on this
new scale, our average SAP rating is 90.6. It is likely that a
number of the homes we built were assessed against the
previous scale. Although we expect this to be a small
proportion, it may have increased our average rating. With
this caveat, we continue to be encouraged that the energy
efficiency of our homes remains high.
We monitor the energy efficiency of the appliances we
install, which are all rated A or B in terms of energy use,
with the minor exception of some washer/dryers.
There are a number of technologies that have now become
standard in the majority of Persimmon homes, as they have
become more cost effective to use. For example, as boilers
account for around 60% of all domestic carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions, by fitting as standard a new high efficiency
condensing boiler with heating controls, we can help cut
CO2 emissions.
Another example is the installation of low flush toilets in our
bathrooms. These use significantly less water than traditional
WCs, and indirectly reduce CO2 emissions as less water
passes through energy intensive water processing. Other
examples of energy saving measures we have used, along with
other eco-efficient features, can be found in the cases studies
included in this report.
Our customer Masterfile explains our sales process and
introduces customers to their new home. On some new
developments, we have also included literature in Masterfile
on how our customers can save energy. We are investigating
whether this can be rolled out across the Group.

Page 8 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Building sustainable homes
continued
We planted more than five trees
for every house we built
Total trees planted
('000 trees)
Structural planting
Base planting
Land use
2005 2006 2007
It is important that we preserve our local heritage and
landscape, so we aim to build in a way that is sympathetic
with the local area. In many cases this means using local
materials and adopting building styles that fit in with the
local vernacular.
Many of the environmental impacts of the house building
process can be addressed through good preparation and
adherence to planning guidance and regulations. As part
of our planning process, we look to identify the potential
environmental impacts associated with any development.
This includes impacts from remediation of contaminated
land, impacts on the local surroundings and habitats, and the
impacts of the construction process itself. On many of our
larger sites, this will involve an Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) being undertaken by specialist contractors.
This informs our thinking and allows us to develop proposals
and designs which minimise possible environmental damage
and where possible enhance the local surroundings.
When appropriate, particularly for our larger developments
we will join the Considerate Constructors Scheme which
assesses our performance against an eight point Code of
Considerate Practice. The categories are: Considerate,
Environment, Cleanliness, Good Neighbour, Respectful,
25.8
31.7
32.4
24.1
67.8
17.7
Trees planted per home
4.6
3.4
5.4
2005 2006 2007
Safe, Responsible and Accountable. For example, Persimmon
Partnerships achieved excellent scoring under the scheme
for its developments at Tweed Street and Allan Crescent
in Dunfermline.
When we are remediating contaminated land this is often
a very positive improvement to the local environment.
However, we recognise that remediation can be a very
emotive issue, and we are sensitive to local opinion when
we are planning and designing such developments.
Our impact in improving the local environment is difficult
to measure as the amount of work we do to protect and
enhance the landscape of the communities we build varies
so much from scheme to scheme. However, to give us a
broad understanding of the contribution we are making we
review the number of trees we plant and the ratio of trees
planted per house. Of course this does not give us the whole
picture, for example, it says nothing about the trees and
natural features we have preserved, but it helps to inform
us of the level of activity around the Group.
In 2007, we planted 85,472 trees equating to 5.4 trees per
home sold. This includes trees planted as part of structural
landscape planting on the open space on our developments.
In addition, we planted 157,000 young trees known as whips.

Page 9 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Building on Brownfield land
In town or city locations, we often build on sites that
have previously been developed, known as ‘brownfield land’.
These sites often require extensive remediation and
decontamination. Suitable brownfield sites are more readily
available in large conurbations for historical reasons and
redevelopment is often encouraged by local planning
authorities. We continue to monitor our use of brownfield
land to ensure that our portfolio of sites remains balanced
rather than having a policy to specify a fixed percentage.
However, we are pleased to report that some of our regions
saw over 80% of completions on brownfield land, well ahead
of the Governments 60% target. As a Group, over 56% of the
homes we built were on brownfield land.
Mitchell’s Brook, Cape Hill, West Midlands
The Mitchell’s Brook development is on the former
Mitchells & Butler Brewery in Cape Hill, Birmingham.
This new urban village will create feature up to 900 new
homes when complete. A quarter of these will be affordable
homes for housing associations.
We recognised the sensitive nature of the bond between
the local community and the former brewery, and
consulted widely with the local community on how best
the site should be developed. For example, the road names
have been selected after consulting with the Smethwick
Local History Society and artefacts found on the site have
been donated to the Bass Museum. A memorial situated
by the main entrance to the site, which commemorates
Homes built on brownfield land
(%)
50
51
57 56 56
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Mitchell & Butler employees who died in the war, has been
restored and rededicated. An old fire station on the site has
also been refurbished by a team of our apprentices, and this
will be used as a community building. To complement the
residential element of the site Deersleap Wood, a nine acre
conservation area located on the site has been restored and
enlarged, together with additional public open space.
Through consultation with Birmingham City Council,
Sport England and local sports teams the existing sports
and social club will be retained and completely
refurbished to provide local facilities for the community,
including an all-weather, full size football pitch, tennis
courts and a pavilion. Persimmon will also fund a centre
manager to look after these facilities.

Page 10 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Building sustainable homes
continued
Living-i – Promoting sustainability
The Living-i project was conceived to help Persimmon
trial and assess various materials and Modern Methods
of Construction for the future. We want to improve all
areas of house building, with focus on quality control,
increasing the speed of construction and addressing the
skills shortages within the industry.
At the same time, Persimmon also recognised that the
project would provide an opportunity for the wider
sustainable living agenda to be explored. Incorporating
the best Modern Methods of Construction and design,
the five homes boast sustainable features that could become
common place over the next few years. Such features
include under floor heating, micro-combined heat and
power units, solar panels, sheepswool insulation, non toxic
paint and cutting edge technology.
Building on the success of this development,
including an award for the best Techno Home at the
Housebuilder Innovation Awards (organised by the
Home Builders Federation) we have launched a website
(www.living-i.co.uk/) aimed at explaining to our
stakeholders some of the technology available and its
applications. This includes detailed ‘drill downs’ that
provide technical specifications of the technologies used,
images and details of suppliers.
This information not only helps our business to
incorporate some of these features into our core building
operations, but it also helps to promote sustainability to
the wider industry and provides the feasibility for wider
implementation.
Using innovation to promote sustainability
Modern Methods of Construction (or MMC) is the term
used to embrace a range of technologies and processes
involving various forms of supply chain specifications,
prefabrication and off-site assembly. The benefits of MMC
mean we can make more use of effective materials, speed up
housing delivery, maintain high standards of design quality
and reduce resource consumption. It is also increasingly
regarded as a means of improving quality, reducing time
spent on-site, improving on-site safety and overcoming
skills shortages in the construction of housing.
We are constantly trialling new technology at our sites
to ensure that we are able to build the best quality homes
possible. More often than not MMC offers us other benefits,
particularly when improving the sustainability of the homes
we build. This is well illustrated by our Living-i development
in Irlam, near Manchester. Here we trialled a variety of
innovative building techniques and technologies to create
five different house types. We reported in detail on this
project in our 2006 report (available on our website).
However, we have now taken the innovative step to share
this information with our peers and the general public.
Dealing with suppliers
We recognise that our environmental and social impact
extends further than just our own direct impacts. However,
as a large company we have a large number of suppliers that
provide us with labour and materials. We recognise that these
suppliers have impacts too and we have a role to play in
encouraging them to behave in a responsible and ethical way.
We therefore developed our Supplier Principles setting out
minimum standards which we expect our suppliers to meet.
These principles are included in the tendering process for all
new suppliers at both a Group and local level, as part of our
terms and conditions of supply. A copy of our Supplier
Principles can be found on our website.

Page 11 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Space4 is the UK’s largest producer of fast track, precision
engineered, off-site manufactured construction systems.
Its unique and patented building system offers a fresh
approach to the building process and has been developed
to address the challenges of affordability, sustainability
and a shortage of skills in the house building industry.
At the heart of Space4 lies a unique, high performance
wall and floor system. Key components are manufactured
at our purpose built production centre at Castle Bromwich,
then delivered to site for assembly. All the timber used is
from sustainable sources, certified by independent
organisations, such as the Forestry Stewardship Council.
Inside and outside, a Space4 home has the look and feel
of a traditional property with the added bonus that the
build process is more efficient – the basic structure of a
typical four bed home can be constructed in a single day.
This means street scenes and developments are completed
much quicker. On the outside, properties are faced
using brick, stone and render features giving them the
appearance of a traditionally constructed home.
Space4 homes provide a whole host of environmental
benefits – its patented manufacturing process means
properties boast superior fire resistance, while the
high-performance insulation built into the structural
walls deliver superior standards of thermal efficiency.
This, together with high quality windows and doors
means lower energy consumption and an end to draughts.
In the days of ever-escalating utilities costs, the benefits
are considerable. Achieving an EcoHomes excellent rating
is normally achieved using the Space4 system.
The off-site prefabrication process also means that much
greater clarity in terms of project specification and
planning can be achieved, ensuring the efficient use of
materials through accurate monitoring and waste control.
Estimates suggest that using Space4 can provide up to
10% efficiency saving over traditional building techniques.
Further details on Space4 can be found on their website:
www.space4.com

Page 12 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Environmental performance
We are committed to minimising our
environmental impacts through a robust
approach to environmental management.

Page 13 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
We are a house building company and our activities
have the potential to have a significant impact on the
environment. We have a robust approach to environmental
management to ensure that our impacts are identified and
well managed, particularly on our sites.
Our environment policy sets out our commitment
to minimising our environmental impacts. We have six
priority areas which are reviewed on an annual basis:
• Minimising the amount of waste we produce through
effective design and on-site management.
• Making efficient use of materials during the house
building process, including recycling existing materials
on site when appropriate.
• Protecting and enhancing the natural habitat and local
surroundings throughout the development process.
• Making the most efficient use of land, including
the regeneration of derelict or contaminated land.
• Designing our houses and developments to incorporate
features that minimise the impact on the environment
during their habitation where practicable and cost effective.
• Preventing pollution occurring at our sites.
Our environmental policy forms the basis of our formal
Environmental Management System (EMS), which is
implemented across the Group. This includes detailed
guidance and procedures relating to our environmental
impacts and how to minimise these during the planning,
design and construction of our developments.
We have taken the step to integrate our EMS with our
Health and Safety management arrangements, so that we
can combine both elements into our on-site audits and
reviews. Consequently, as each site is audited against
our Health and Safety procedures, they are also audited
against environmental criteria.
Combining environmental management with familiar Health
and Safety practices ensures they are taken seriously on site
and well understood. This is reinforced by regular ‘tool-box’
talks and on-site briefings relating to environmental issues,
such as waste management or reducing the likelihood of
environmental incidents.
Our Space4 operation, which manufactures prefabricated
timber construction panels, is certified to the ISO14001
environmental management standard.
Our environmental performance is monitored and reviewed
by the CR Committee, with the responsibility for
implementing this policy resting with the Managing Director
of each operating business. On each site, the Site Manager is
responsible for the day-to-day management of environmental
issues and ensuring adherence to our policy.
We seek to develop proactive relationships at a Group and
local operating business level with regulators in this area,
to ensure that the arrangements we have in place are
appropriate and effective. In the unlikely occurrence of an
environmental incident on one of our sites we are quick
to implement our emergency procedures and inform the
relevant authorities, reducing the potential for any long term
environmental damage.
Unfortunately, we had two environmental prosecutions in
2007. They both related to muddy surface water discharge
into a stream from a site on a steep hillside during severe
thunderstorms, which overwhelmed drainage interceptors
previously inspected by the Environment Agency. However,
given the size of our business, with over 500 working sites,
and the scale of our operations, we believe that our approach
is working.
Environmental prosecutions 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Number of environmental
prosecutions 0 1 0 0 2

Page 14 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Environmental performance
continued
Operational carbon footprint
(Office electricity
and vehicle emissions)
(tonnes)
Electricity emissions
Transport emissions
7,056
Reducing operational CO2 emissions
2,231
For the first time this year, we have measured the CO2
emissions from our own activities – our operational carbon
footprint. This takes into account the emissions from energy
used by the 34 regional offices and head office, and the fuel
used by our vehicle fleet of 1,440 company cars and vans.
At this stage we have excluded emissions from our on-site
operations, which are difficult to measure accurately owing
to the different phases of construction occurring on each
site and the difficulty of obtaining accurate data from
our suppliers.
In 2007, we consumed 4.3 million KWh of electricity in our
buildings and 5.0 million litres of fuel within our vehicle fleet.
Gas consumption data from our offices is currently unavailable.
Our operational carbon footprint was 9,287 tonnes of CO2.
We will continue to monitor our emissions over the coming
year and improve the coverage of the data we collect.
68% of house building
waste recycled
Waste generated
(tonnes)
Recycled
Landfill
Waste and materials use
2005 2006 2007
Persimmon established its waste management policy in 2004.
This policy sets out how we expect our operating businesses
to handle waste on site, acknowledging that this represents
our single biggest direct environmental impact. Our aim is
to reuse as much material as possible on site, particularly
bricks, soil and rubble from site demolition and segregate
and recycle waste whenever possible. It also requires our
operating businesses to think about how materials are
ordered and used to reduce the amount of waste generated
in the first instance.
The ultimate aim of this policy is to reduce the amount
of waste that we send to landfill each year. This has obvious
benefits for the environment, but also reduces the costs
of waste disposal to the business.
In 2007, we generated 150,500 tonnes of house building
waste. This represents 9.5 tonnes for every home we built.
This is a small increase since last year (9.0 tonnes per home).
However, the proportion of waste we recycled has increased
to 68%. In other words only a third of the waste we generate
now goes to landfill, approximately 3 tonnes per home.
85.8
42.3
96.3
54.4
102.2
48.3

Page 15 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Waste generated per home built
(tonnes)
10.8
9.0
9.5
2005 2006 2007
This year has seen us continue to promote responsible
waste management throughout the Group. There is a greater
awareness of these issues on our sites and waste management
is now an integral consideration in planning our sites.
In some instances, particularly on our larger developments,
we have begun developing specific Site Waste Management
Plans (SWMPs) in recognition of our obligations under
the forthcoming Site Waste Management Plans Regulations
scheduled to come into force in April 2008. SWMP’s will
provide us with a formalised mechanism to record most
of what we already do in reducing our site waste.
The waste management services available to us affect
whether we segregate our waste on site or whether this is
done off site at a waste reprocessing unit. However, our well
briefed site management teams are able to deal effectively
with both situations to ensure we monitor the waste we
generate and make sure the majority is recycled.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, all waste from
remediation and ground working is recycled on site, for
example by contouring and landscaping. If this is impossible,
then we actively seek to transfer waste sub soil between our
sites and it is only as a last resort that we send waste to landfill.
As well as constantly looking for ways to improve our on
site activities, we also consider waste issues during the design
and planning process of our homes. Where we can, we look
to order materials that are pre-specified to the size we need
rather than cutting them on site – for example, most of the
plasterboard we buy comes in made to measure sheets.
Another good example is the use of pre-fabricated support
beams instead of traditional timber joists. These use less timber
and eliminate the need for on site measurement and cutting
to size. These are used in virtually all of the homes we build.
Medway Gate, Cuxton, Kent
At this mixed use development we are aiding conservation by creating a specially designed conservation area
and encouraging residents to participate in conservation initiatives. The development includes approximately
six acres of new habitat that has been dedicated to help preserve a variety of wildlife, including an extensive
Great Crested Newt population. This includes creating up to 13 pond areas, populated with local flora to encourage
indigenous species. We have also provided residents with guidance on the role they can play, giving them a number
of suggestions of specific actions they can take, for example, to plant particular plants and shrubs in their gardens
that can provide nesting sites for birds.

Page 16 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Building new communities
With 34 regional businesses we understand local
issues and can build developments where people
want to live and communities can grow.

Page 17 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
We have 34 regional house building operating businesses.
This local structure, with businesses located in the
communities in which we build our homes, means we
can be flexible during the planning and design process,
engage with the local community and build developments
in which people want to live. It also allows us to develop
meaningful relationships with those authorities and other
stakeholders that influence the design and layout of the
developments we build.
At a local level we contribute to the local economy by
creating new jobs, supporting local businesses who supply
labour and materials and developing better infrastructure.
At a national level, we are working to meet the demand
Greendykes, Edinburgh
Planning applications for the construction/restoration
of a new river channel and the residential development
of approximately 22.5 hectares of land on the south-eastern
edge of Edinburgh were submitted by the Niddrie Burn
Restoration Project Client Body (incorporating Persimmon
Homes) in 2007. These are currently at an advanced stage
in the City of Edinburgh Council and we expect planning
consent to be granted in Spring 2008, with work
commencing on the new River Corridor soon after.
As part of the progression of these projects we undertook
an extensive pre-application consultation process with the
Council, a number of local interest groups and interested
members of the general public and have continued to
meet with various interested parties during the planning
process.
As part of this consultation process we have held public
open days, attended a variety of public and local
community meetings, undertaken site tours and had
detailed discussions with specific interest groups.
These activities have provided the community with
an opportunity to influence and shape the project.
Subsequently, we have been able to identify local issues
for new homes by contributing to the social housing stock,
building on brownfield land and finding innovative ways for
first-time buyers and those on low incomes to buy houses.
The Government’s Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) sets
out the way in which developments should be designed
and what should be included. Moreover, the Government
is promoting the concept of sustainable communities to
create thriving, vibrant communities which will improve
everyone’s quality of life. We agree with the principle
of these concepts, as it makes commercial sense for us to
build communities in which people want to live, but the
policies can make the planning system challenging and
increase the time it takes to achieve planning permission.
and quickly address emerging public concerns relating
to the development. This has meant making a number
of amendments to the original plans, for example,
as part of the restoration of the Niddrie Burn, we have
now included dedicated teaching areas along its banks
to allow school children to study the ecology of the
waterway, whilst avoiding steep banks.

Page 18 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Building new communities
continued
Inclusiveness and affordable housing
There is a well recognised shortage of good quality affordable
homes within the UK. As one of the country’s largest
housebuilders we have a key role to play in helping the
Government to deliver on its promise to increase the number
of affordable homes, particularly for key workers such as
nurses and teachers. Over 34% of our homes built in 2007
were sold at a price of £150,000 or less.
Being able to deliver affordable homes to housing
associations is becoming more and more important, with
the majority of the developments we now undertake having
a social/affordable housing element to them, which we call
partnership homes.
The creation of Westbury Partnerships in 2006, has allowed
us to significantly develop our capability in this area
and our relationship with housing associations, building
on the successful work of our Persimmon Partnerships
business in Scotland. Westbury Partnerships activities focus
on developing relationships with the public sector to
enhance the Group’s ability to acquire and develop land sold
by these bodies. Perhaps more importantly, it forms a centre
Swarcliffe, Leeds
We are building 366 new homes on previously developed
land at Swarcliffe in Leeds. This area in east Leeds is
being regenerated as part of a Private Finance Initiative
in conjunction with Leeds City Council. These homes
will provide for a diverse range of customers, from families
on low incomes, to young couples and mature people.
The housing will be modern and innovative, providing
energy efficient homes that are warm, comfortable and
economical to run.
We have completed the first two phases of the
development and they have proven extremely popular
with local residents. These homes have been built
beside retained council housing stock and have provided
significant improvement to the area. As part of our
involvement, we attend regular meetings with Swarcliffe
residents and community groups, to ensure that further
development enhances the local area as much as possible.
Partnership homes built
1,014
1,039
1,402
1,967
2004 2005 2006 2007
of expertise within the Group on developing collaborative
approaches with local authorities and housing associations
and the development of partnership homes. This significantly
strengthens our ability to build homes that are both sustainable
and affordable and helps us to meet the Government’s target
to build mixed used and inclusive communities.
In 2007, we built 1,967 partnership homes for housing
associations. This is a 40% increase from last year, and
partnership homes now represent 12.4 % of our total
building output.

Page 19 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
1,967 partnership homes
for housing associations
Garthamlock, Glasgow
This is a major regeneration project in Glasgow,
undertaken in conjunction with Glasgow City Council
and Home Scotland Housing Association. The project
involved the demolition and regeneration of a proportion
of the Garthamlock area, as well as the creation of 118
affordable homes and 690 homes for private sale, together
with a new neighbourhood and shopping area.
Persimmon Partnerships has developed a close relationship
with the local Garthamlock community since the project
was first announced in 2001. This has involved holding
open days, issuing regular updates and newsletters, and
frequent meetings with the Community Council,
Residents Association and local church groups.
We have also established good relationships with both local
schools in the area, having participated in school fund
raising projects and given talks to the children, for example,
on building site health and safety. A reflection of these
community ties is that Persimmon Partnerships is relocating
its offices to Garthamlock and has recently received a
commendation award for community involvement at the
Homes for Scotland Innovation Awards 2007.
Anchor Mill, Paisley
The restoration and renovation of Paisley’s Grade A
listed cotton mill includes 60 luxury apartments and
23,000 sq ft of business space. Originally built in 1886,
the mill is situated adjacent to the White Cart River with
views of Paisley Abbey.
The restoration of Anchor Mill was a public and private
partnership between Persimmon, the Phoenix Trust,
Renfrewshire Council, Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire,
Safeway/Morrisons and Historic Scotland. It was also
supported by Paisley Vision which works to promote
the interests of Paisley. The partnership’s aim was to create
a district where people could live, work and play. It has
given people renewed confidence and pride in their
community and its landmarks.
As a consequence, Anchor Mills was recognised by the
Homes for Scotland, the Home Builders Federation
(HBF) and the Prince’s Foundation Recognition for
the Build Environment as one of the best recent
developments by a major home builder. More information
can be found at www.princes-foundation.org

Page 20 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Building new communities
continued
Field of Hope
The Yorkshire operating business recently launched
a unique ‘Field of Hope’ initiative at its Staynor Hall
development to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer
Care. This utilised a piece of land at the front of our
development, in which people were invited to plant their
own daffodil bulb in remembrance of a friend or loved
one to create the ‘Field of Hope’. By involving the local
community in the development, we raised funds for
Marie Curie and improved the appearance of this
new development.
Community investment
Our community and charity work supports a number
of health charities and opportunities for children. At the
most basic level, healthy communities make for healthy
businesses so we aim to play our part in them. There are also
clear benefits from improvements to our public profile and
reputation. But perhaps the strongest motivator is internal;
taking part in community activities is popular with our staff.
In a competitive environment for recruitment and retention,
this kind of positive experience can make an important
difference to our performance.
Last year, we donated over £210,000 to charitable
activities, a significant proportion of which was donated
to Persimmon’s nominated charity of the year, Marie Curie
Cancer Care, and Charles Church’s nominated charity,
Dreams Come True. In addition, fundraising activities
by our staff around the Group generated over £340,000
of donations to a variety of charities and good causes.
We have continued to support the York Minster
Development Campaign. We are donating £700,000 over
10 years to help train apprentices in the ancient craft skills
which will be used to repair and conserve the East Front
of York Minster. This project has a close affinity to our business.
As well as charitable donations, each of our operating
businesses donates to local community projects through
the donation of staff time, labour or materials. This reflects
the regional nature of our business and allows management
and employees in each local area to get involved in initiatives
that resonate with their particular area and business.

Page 21 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Charitable fundraising
£340,000
SongBird nest boxes
The Anglia region launched an initiative with the
wildlife charity SongBird Survival to offer all new home
purchasers a free nest box for their new house or garden.
Customers can choose from six different boxes, each
specifically designed to meet the requirements of different
birds. The aim of the initiative was to encourage and
support garden birds in the newly established communities
that we build, whilst raising the awareness of the need
to support the garden bird population.
Back to the Shop Floor
During 2007, we were pleased to continue our corporate
support of the Marie Curie Cancer Care ‘Back to the
Shop Floor’ initiative. This initiative encourages managers
to go back to the shop floor for the day, in return for
charitable sponsorship. Our support meant that all the
promotional and management costs of this initiative were
covered, enabling all the money raised to go towards
funding Marie Curie nursing homes. It also helped
to highlight career opportunities within Persimmon
and the house building industry more generally.
A number of our directors took part in the initiative,
including our Group Chairman, John White, and Group
Development Director, David Bryant.
Envelope initiative
The North West operating business undertook their
Envelope initiative that encouraged customers to donate
either £20 or £40 to Marie Curie Cancer Care and in
return Persimmon provided between £100 and £200
towards numerous features linked with their purchase
including legal fees, turfed gardens or elements of our
Finishing Touches ranges.

Page 22 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Promoting skills
Our business relies on the skills and technical
ability of our employees to deliver quality homes
and strong Company performance.

Page 23 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Our people are
our greatest asset
Employees numbers
4,602 4,613
5,349
5,501
2004 2005 2006 2007
For any business, a strong performance relies on the strengths
of its people. To develop a good team it is essential to recruit
the right people, keep them motivated and create the right
environment for them to perform well. Indeed, in an
industry such as ours that relies on the skills and technical
ability of our employees, making sure we invest in the
training and development of our employees is crucial
to our success now and in the future.
Persimmon directly employed an average of 5,501 people
during 2007, of whom 31% are female. We have 24 women
directors within the business, accounting for 12% of our
management team. In addition, we employ a considerable
number of people on our sites as sub-contractors.
Our Group HR function provides strategic and policy
direction, as well as guidance and practical support for the
business. This includes the formulation of relevant policies
and procedures for implementation across the Group.
However, much of the day-to-day management of our
people rests with each operating business. This approach
provides us with the flexibility to ensure local issues
can be handled by people with specific knowledge
of the circumstances.
We have a formal performance review process for our
employees, which is undertaken annually. This forms the basis
of the reward and remuneration of our staff. In addition, our
managers are encouraged to continually appraise their staff
and in the majority of our offices we have an open-door
management approach.
Employees gender breakdown
(%)
Female
Male
Every salaried employee is given an employee Handbook,
which outlines our employment policies and procedures
including those relating to equal opportunities and diversity,
whistle blowing, harassment and bullying, flexible working,
alcohol and drugs, as well as a clear statement of our
grievance and disciplinary policy.
Recruitment and reward
Recruitment is undertaken on a local basis and we use
a variety of different media to attract candidates. We have
a careers website www.persimmonjobs.com, which highlights
vacancies across the Group and enables potential recruits
to find out more about us.
Applicants are also able to submit their application online.
This simplifies the recruitment process and improves the
accessibility of information for applicants. Since its launch in
October 2006, this initiative has been particularly successful
and popular with increasing numbers of our applications
coming via our website.
We recognise the benefits of a stable and committed
workforce. We offer rewarding careers and encourage
our employees to stay with us for a long time. We offer
all our salaried staff a competitive remuneration package
together with a range of additional employee benefits,
including bonus payments depending upon individual
and company performance, commission schemes for sales
staff, private health care, and a contributory pension
scheme with life assurance. We also offer a staff discount
on new home purchases.
69
31

Page 24 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Promoting skills
continued
Encouraging diversity within the workforce offers many
benefits in terms of sharing skills, attracting, recruiting and
retaining people from a wide talent base and reducing the
costs of labour turnover. We are keen to encourage any
candidate to explore the wide range of careers available in
what is an extremely challenging and constantly changing
industry.
We take a balanced approach to recruitment focused on
employing people with the best skills and experience
for the job, regardless of race, religion, disability, sexual
orientation or age. However, we also acknowledge the
benefits of retaining knowledge and experience within
our business and encourage all our staff to fulfil their
potential with us.
Over the coming year we will be reviewing a number
of policies and procedures including a Succession Planning
Model and Induction process for new staff. We will also be
producing an HR Manual to assist the operating businesses in
the management of their staff by ensuring they have ready
access to policies, guidance notes and procedures.
Developing our employees
and promoting skills
We are keen to ensure employees are given all the necessary
training to perform their jobs competently and safely. We have
an extensive programme of IT and Health & Safety Training.
In addition, to maintain our competitive position within the
market we invest heavily in sales training and this, coupled
with customer care training, has been used extensively
during the year.
6,765
Training Days
Training days
5,982
6,282
6,714
6,765
2004 2005 2006 2007
In 2007, we provided 6,765 days of training for our
employees (2006: 6,714). This equated to 1.2 days for every
employee, an increase from the previous year not withstanding
the completion of a number of focused training initiatives
undertaken in previous years.
We are contributors and supporters of the ConstructionSkills
(formerly the CITB) recognising that as a large employer in
the house building industry we have a role to play in
promoting skills across the industry. In addition, we are
committed to the ConstructionSkills Certification Scheme
(CSCS) and having a workforce (including sub-contractors
working on our sites) with a recognised qualification such as
the CSCS ‘Skills Card’.
The CSCS card is the industry's largest scheme and, at
present, covers 220 occupations including trades, technical,
supervisory and management. CSCS cards list the holder’s
qualifications and are valid for either three or five years.
It also shows they have health and safety awareness as all
cardholders have to pass the appropriate ConstructionSkills
Health and Safety Test.
CSCS is now firmly established as the means for individuals
to prove their competency to undertake work on our sites.
The last audit of our workforce in 2007 showed that 75%
of our direct and 66% of our indirect workforce were carded.
We are committed, through our membership of the Home
Builders Federation’s (HBF) Major House Builders Group
(MHBG), to making sure that all our direct and indirect
workers hold a CSCS Card and are fully qualified by 2010.

Page 25 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Training the people that work with us
We recently held a heath and safety seminar for over
200 staff and contractors in our South West operating
business.
Held at the Loop Conference Centre in Exeter, the event
provided sub-contractors with information on the
standards required in order for them to maintain their
status as approved contractors, as part of Persimmon’s
commitment to the ConstructionSkills Certification
Scheme (CSCS).
Presentations were provided by a senior health and
safety advisor, alongside representatives from CSCS
and Business Link.
To support our commitment to developing skills within
the house building industry we have continued to support
and develop our ‘Homing in on Opportunity’ Initiative.
This aims to encourage young people to consider a career
in the house building industry and it forms a key component
of our approach to training and development. It focuses
on three areas:
• Encouraging a career in house building:
In 2000, we developed a career pack in conjunction with
the Careers and Education Business Partnership (EBP)
aimed at Key Stage 4 pupils to encourage them to consider
a career in the construction industry. The activities outlined
cover a wide range of abilities and curriculum areas and
therefore can be incorporated into traditional subject
areas as well as careers sessions. They are ideal topics for
citizenship or industry day activities.
The career pack is still being used with schools;
however, we are in the process of reviewing the pack
and identifying ways in which we can make it more
interactive, for example through the use of multimedia
and the internet, and more relevant to today’s young
people. The current pack can be downloaded at
www.persimmonjobs.com/schools_career.pdf and we
will report in more detail on new innovations to the
pack next year.
Apprenticeships 2004 2005 2006 2007
No. of apprentices 409 393 324 267
% of workforce 6% 9% 6% 5%
No. completing apprenticeships 49 53 116 94
• Taking on apprentices:
We continue to recruit and train a large number of
apprentices. In 2007, we had 267 apprentices within the
business, each of whom was offered the opportunity to
study for a Vocational Qualification (NVQ or SNVQ)
in a relevant trade. Apprentices now account for 5%
of our workforce, broadly the same proportion as the
previous year (2006: 6%).
To reinforce our commitment to encourage young people
to take up apprenticeships with us, we run an ‘Apprentice
of the Year’ scheme. This recognises significant achievements
made by apprentices coming to the end of their formal
training. All second and third year apprentices are eligible
to enter whether they specialise in bricklaying, carpentry
or any other core discipline. James Lilley, an apprentice
bricklayer from Persimmon Homes South Yorkshire,
won this year’s award, which came with a £1,000 prize.

Page 26 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Promoting skills
continued
Skills in Jobs, Bilston Development Project
Persimmon Homes West Midlands is backing the Bilston
Development Project and City of Wolverhampton
College’s ‘Skills in Jobs’ project. The six-week programme
is aimed at people from across the Black Country who
attend Bilston Development Projects’ construction
workshops at Millfields Road, who are keen to learn new
skills and find employment in the construction industry.
The course provides students with health and safety
accreditations, a professional CV and training on plumbing,
carpentry, plastering, painting and decorating, health and
safety, customer service and interview techniques.
Site visits in partnership with key employers in the area
form an important part of the programme of activity and
this is where Persimmon Homes has become involved.
As part of our support, a group of students were invited to
a tour of our Mitchell’s Brook development at Cape Hill
Village, Smethwick, to educate them about the range of
opportunities in the house building industry and
demonstrate construction work in progress.
Cheryl Welsh, project manager for Heantun Housing
Association Limited, which is delivering the Bilston
Development Project adds: “In a nutshell, the ‘Introduction
to Construction’ initiative is about getting local people
to a point where they can effectively compete for a job.
We want to raise the confidence of our students to allow
them to enter into training or re-enter the employment
market. We are grateful to Persimmon for the help and
support they have shown towards our students”.
• Developing managers of the future:
The Persimmon Management Development Programme
offers a genuine fast track into senior management within
the Persimmon Group. It is open to anyone with a degree
or HND qualification, ideally in a construction related
field. The programme lasts for a year and provides graduates
with placements in four core areas: Land & Planning,
Technical, Construction and Sales & Marketing.
This programme is combined with residential courses at
our head office, and an introduction to our key support
functions including Customer Care, Legal and Finance.
Each graduate is mentored throughout their training and
personal development opportunities are discussed at regular
training reviews. We are pleased to report that this scheme
has continued to grow this year with 15 graduates taken
onto the programme in 2007 (compared to 12 in 2006).
We also run a leadership development programme for
managing directors. In 2007, seven Managing Directors
attended the week long course held in conjunction
with the Leadership Trust. The programme is especially
useful for those recently promoted to the MD role or
candidates whom we expect to promote in the near future.
The programme has been very well received by the delegates
and the feedback from their line managers has also been
equally positive.
During 2007, we piloted a ‘Senior Management
Development Programme’ aimed at directors and managers
of our regional operating businesses. The main focus
of the course was how they manage their people with a
view to improving performance, morale and engagement.
Three pilot courses were held in 2007, one in each Division.
They were well received by delegates and the intention
is to roll the course out to all operating businesses in 2008.

Page 27 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Interview with Emma Taylor,
Graduate of the Year
When did you join Persimmon?
I joined Persimmon Midlands in September of 2006
straight after graduating from university
Why were you attracted to Persimmon and the
Graduate Programme?
I was attracted mainly to the diversity of the development
programme, it was arranged to ensure that I could spend
time and gain experience in all areas of the business.
I felt this would be an excellent grounding for a career
in the construction industry.
What is your background/qualifications?
What is your current role?
My background is in Accounting, I gained a 1st Class I am currently a Sales Administrator, responsible for
Honours Degree in Accounting, Financial Management recording all sales activity and reporting the weekly figures
and Business Studies from the University of Sheffield. to head office. I deal with all reservations, cancellations and
finishing touches that come in from site, recording these on
What roles and training have you done whilst
the system and doing any necessary paperwork. I also liaise
on the programme?
with the legal department ensuring timely exchange and
Whilst on the programme I spent time in all departments completions on all plots.
in the Company, this included two main placements, in land
…and on winning the Graduate of the Year Award?
and sales, alongside time spent in customer care, surveying,
buying, legal, construction & technical departments. Persimmon offers great opportunities for those wanting
During my placements I became fully involved in the to progress up the ladder quickly. I am proof that the house
daily activities of each department.
building industry isn’t just a job for the boys and if you
show commitment and hard work, in terms of progression,
What has been your highlight and greatest
the sky really is the limit. I’m thrilled to be crowned
achievement since joining Persimmon?
winner and look forward to a rewarding career with
The best achievement for me during my time spent in the Company.
Persimmon so far has to be being awarded the Graduate
of the Year Award. There were so many highlights
throughout the programme, it was thoroughly enjoyable,
especially the time spent in York Head Office, where not
only did I get to meet the other graduates, but we were
given a unique opportunity to talk to senior directors and
get involved in activities that allowed us to gain a better
insight into the Persimmon Group as a whole.

Page 28 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Ensuring a healthy and safe
working environment
Safety is an integral part of the way we work,
affecting almost every decision we make.

Page 29 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Health and safety is a top priority for Persimmon.
We work very hard to make sure that the people who
come into contact with our operations, including our
employees, sub-contractors, visitors and the general public
are safe. It is an integral part of the way we work and we
factor health and safety into the way we run our business,
particularly those decisions relating to site operations.
Our Group Health and Safety policy and manual have
been significantly revised to ensure their relevance to our
business operations in order to take into account changes
in legislation, such as the new Construction, Design and
Management (CDM) Regulations that were introduced
in April 2007. These regulations place a greater emphasis
on us to make sure that all construction projects we
undertake are carefully planned, designed and managed
throughout their duration.
We have expanded our health and safety team from
15 advisers to 19 in 2007 and this enables the Group to
provide more support to our operating businesses. Our
Group Development Director, David Bryant remains our
main board director responsible for overall Health and Safety.
He is supported by the Group Health and Safety Director.
Health and safety risks are reviewed at Group level
and this process in turn sets out the objectives and key
actions for the coming year. In addition individual operating
businesses are responsible for putting together their own
yearly health and safety action plans.
Health and Safety matters are discussed and reviewed at
various other levels within the Group including bimonthly
divisional and operating business management meetings,
quarterly Construction Reviews and Safety Committee
meetings. This process allows us to monitor the ongoing
health and safety performance of the operating businesses and
allows them to set their own targets for improvement such as
accident reduction, in order to meet any Group objectives.
To support our operating businesses, in March 2007 we
provided training to all senior managers on changes in our
approach. The training made clear their responsibilities as
duty holders under the new CDM Regulations, Health and
Safety legislation and the Corporate Manslaughter Act that
comes into force in April 2008.
Promoting Health and Safety awareness
To enable us to continually improve our management
of health and safety it is vital that management and staff
at all levels are involved. As part of this process, divisional
and operating business boards of directors carry out regular
visits to sites and offices so that they can engage with
employees and promote awareness of our approach to their
responsibilities.
This process is supported by health and safety advisors
carrying out regular on-site ‘Tool box’ talks on different
topics such as working at height, manual handling, traffic
management and general site management.
In order to further enhance our communication in this
area, we have launched our Safe Teams Avoid Risk (STAR)
campaign. STAR is a way of communicating to all our
employees the health and safety issues which should be
at the forefront of everything we do.
As part of the STAR campaign, we have also launched our
first internal health and safety magazine for staff. Entitled
‘Safety Matters’ the magazine has been designed to provide
employees with an easy to read and informative guide to
health and safety legislation and issues, ensuring that everyone
in the Group is kept up to date in this area.

Page 30 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Ensuring a healthy and safe
working environment
continued
Highlights of the first issue included an insight into where
health and safety began and a risk assessment case study aimed
at demystifying this common health and safety procedure.
Our Group Health and Safety Department continue to
undertake significant amounts of health and safety training
across the business. In 2007, we delivered 938 days of health
and safety training to our employees and sub-contractors to
ensure they are up to date on current working practices and
Group procedures. This was a 61% increase in training days
over 2006, to raise the competency levels of employees in our
business to meet the challenges of the new CDM regulations.
To emphasise our commitment to increasing awareness and
improving the health and safety performance of everybody
involved in our business activities, in addition we held over
30 seminars for contractors and suppliers on key health and
safety issues.
Our ongoing use of the CITB Site Managers Safety Training
Scheme (SMSTS) qualification for construction personnel
is vital for the safe management of our on site operations.
RIDDORS per 1,000 employees
11.9
2003
11.5
2004
2005 2006 2007
Health and Safety performance
In 2007, we had 172 incidents reportable under the UK
Reporting of Incidents, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR). This remains unchanged
since 2006, even though we had a large increase in
employees and sub-contractors working on a substantially
increased number of sites during 2007. This reflects our
continuing commitment to Health and Safety across the
Group. Our accident rate was 12.2 per 1,000 employees,
(reduced from 12.9 in 2006) which shows we continue to
make progress in this vital area of our business.
During 2007, we rolled out a new audit process to monitor
our revised health and safety management arrangements.
This replaces our previous PASS system which was based
on audit questionnaires, supplemented by interviews with
management and staff and was designed to measure the
percentage level of implementation of our health, safety
and welfare management systems by each of our operating
businesses.
The new STAR audits focus much more heavily on
encouraging continuous improvement within our operating
businesses, with a much greater emphasis on the provision of
evidence and the measurement of performance against key
performance indicators. We will report in more detail on the
results of these audits in next year’s report once they have
been established across the Group.
10.3
12.9
12.2

Page 31 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Monthly site inspections are undertaken by external
health and safety advisors who monitor operational working
practices and measure performance levels against industry
best practice not simply minimum standards, in construction
activities, such as working at height and manual handling.
Based on the accumulative results of each inspection, our
operating businesses can achieve annual Gold, Silver or
Bronze Awards, where Gold is over 90% compliance, Silver is
over 80% and Bronze is over 70%. If an average of less than
70% compliance is achieved then no award is given.
Site inspections 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Gold Award 0 2 4 10 12
Silver Award 23 31 30 25 24
Bronze Award 9 3 0 0 0
Our operating businesses continue to achieve high standards
of health and safety on-site, with a third of operating
businesses achieving over 90% compliance with best practise.
During 2007 we held refresher meetings with all our
external health and safety advisors to inform them of our
requirements for site inspection/accident investigation
and reporting. This included the use of the Site Help Card
Booklets that provide guidance on the operational and
administration standards required to achieve an award,
which in turn ensures consistency in marking and reporting.
We continue to have a proactive relationship with the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE). We received one
enforcement action during 2007, compared to 10 in 2006
reflecting what we consider is our improved operational
practice in this area and our ‘positive intervention’ approach.
2005 2006 2007
Prosecutions 1 0 1
Prohibition Notices 4 7 0
Improvement Notices 0 3 1
Unfortunately, we were subject to one health and safety
prosecution during 2007. This related to an incident that
occurred at Space4, prior to our acquisition in 2006. As the
current owner of this business we were liable for this incident.
However, at the time the incident occurred the former
Westbury business was not subject to the robust health and
safety policies and procedures of the Persimmon Group.

Page 32 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Caring for our customers
Buying a home is an important emotional
and financial decision for all of us. We try to
ensure the process is as stress free as possible
for our customers.

Page 33 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Choosing a home is one of the most important decisions that
our customers will make, both emotionally and financially.
We believe that we have a responsibility to help them make
the right choice and provide the right level of service to
make this process as stress free and straightforward as possible.
Our sales teams are trained to offer customers expert guidance
and practical assurance throughout the buying process. Our
customer advisors provide regular telephone calls to update
customers on progress of their new homes and are trained to
respond quickly and efficiently to any queries they may have.
We supply all our customers with a Masterfile which is
designed to guide our customers through the buying process.
This includes everything that our customers need to know
from reserving a property to choosing fixtures and colour
schemes and moving in. It also offers our customers guidance
on health and safety issues in the home and on site.
Depending on how far a building has progressed, every
Persimmon and Charles Church home is offered with a
choice of fixtures and fittings encompassing the latest designs
from leading manufacturers. Through our ‘Finishing Touches’
initiative, we also offer our customers flexibility and choice
in how their home will look.
We also acknowledge that after we have completed a sale, our
obligation to our customers continues. This is outlined in the
Persimmon Pledge – our customer charter. A few days after
moving in, members of our on-site construction team will
visit to ensure that each customer is happy with their home
and to resolve any immediate issues that may have arisen.
Customers can also access a dedicated customer care helpline
and a 24 hour emergency hotline in the event of a failure of
any service supply, such as electricity, gas or water. We also
offer customers a weekly construction clinic whilst we have
construction activity on site.
Ensuring quality
We undertake regular site inspections during the building
process to monitor the quality of the homes we build.
This is supported by building regulation monitoring
undertaken by the local authority or the National House
Building Council (NHBC). We also provide free of charge
a 10 year building warranty on each home from a new home
warranty provider such as the NHBC.
Before building completion, a comprehensive 24 point
pre-plastering inspection is carried out by the site manager
and a senior member of the construction department. This
inspection includes a check on foundations, plumbing,
wiring, blockwork and cavities.
In addition, we have a sub-contractor control list which
sets the criteria for certain quality standards, which each
sub-contractor agrees to meet. These quality standards provide
another control within the overall quality control process.
Prior to each home being released to the customer it is
inspected by our sales and construction staff and often a local
office director. A member of our staff then provides a new
home demonstration of the fixtures, systems and appliances
fitted. We provide a Quality Assured Certificate for insertion
into the customer’s Masterfile on the day of completion.

Page 34 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Caring for our customers
continued
We recognise that of the thousands of new homes we
sell each year, there will inevitably be teething problems,
often caused by the house drying out following its
occupation.We provide our customers with a ‘one month
inspection form’ which allows customers to inform us
of any problems. On receiving this information we will
endeavour to complete all agreed items within 28 days.
We are in the process of piloting a number of initiatives
across the Group to find ways to further improve the quality
of our homes and our customer services, for example by
providing a ‘special team’ to deal immediately with customers
issues and requests and finding effective ways to mentor
customers through the building process. We will report in
greater detail on these initiatives in next year’s report.
Customer satisfaction
We have invested heavily in training our staff to improve
customer service. We have also implemented systems
that allow us to monitor how well we are performing.
We measure the satisfaction of our customers in a number of
ways and information is collated and reported to management
teams within our operating businesses on a weekly basis and
to Group management on a monthly basis. This detailed level
of management information allows us to identify particular
trends and issues upon which we can focus our efforts.
We measure customer satisfaction in two ways: through
internal ‘new home satisfaction surveys’ and through external
customer satisfaction surveys undertaken by the NHBC.
Customers that would recommend
Persimmon to a friend
(%)
86 86 86
2005 2006 2007
The latter is part of a broader commitment by Persimmon to
work with the house building industry to provide management
information to help improve levels of customer satisfaction and
meaningful comparisons between house building companies.
The NHBC survey is sent to customers approximately
nine months after completion. The questionnaire includes
eight questions covering various areas of customer
satisfaction. Persimmon is pleased to participate in this
survey and agrees that ensuring and improving customer
satisfaction is critical within the industry.
Our internal questionnaire asks our customers 10 questions
to determine how satisfied they are with their new home.
These include questions relating to the build process, the
level of information provided to them, the ease with which
problems could be reported, our speed of response and their
overall satisfaction. Information from these surveys is collated
centrally usually six to eight weeks after customers move into
their new home and monitored at both an operating business
and Group level.
Our surveys have shown a good level of customer satisfaction
with our homes and our service. In 2007, 86% of our
customers said they would ‘recommend Persimmon to a
friend’, continuing the trend of the past three years. Whilst
we are encouraged with this high level of satisfaction, we
recognise there is still more we can do and we will continue
our efforts in the future.

Page 35 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Next steps
During 2007, we developed a new approach to sustainability. Our six key responsibilities provide a set of guiding
principles for the Group on which we can build and improve our performance. We have strengthened our Governance
arrangements, in particular with the appointment of a non-executive Director Neil Davidson to chair the Corporate
Responsibility Committee.
We have begun the process of raising the profile of these issues and our primary objective during 2008 is to embed
our six key responsibilities further into the business. By implementing a consistent approach across our 34 operating
businesses, with sustainability being part of what we do every day, we will contribute to the continuing success of
Persimmon and enhance its reputation in keeping with its position as one of the UK’s leading housebuilders.
For 2008, we have set eight objectives:
Sustainability
Increase awareness of our Sustainability Policy across the
Group and communicate our six key responsibilities to our
employees and sub-contractors.
K.P.I.s
Review our Key Performance Indicators and reporting
structures to ensure these better reflect our sustainability
responsibilities.
Best Practice
Develop a mechanism for effectively sharing best practice
on sustainability issues across the Group, particularly in
relation to features that can be incorporated into the homes
we build.
Sustainable homes
Determine the implications of the Government’s Code
for Sustainable Homes for the business and review the
opportunities to develop a consistent approach for meeting
these standards across the Group.
Waste
Reduce the amount of waste we generate and send
to landfill.
Customer Care
Continue to improve our customer satisfaction and the
build quality of our homes.
Health and Safety
All our operating businesses senior management will receive
Health and Safety training that is externally accredited
by 10SH, APS or ConstructionSkills, in addition to in
house training.
Progress
Join the NextGeneration initiative, a multi-stakeholder
initiative designed to drive best practice in sustainability
into the heart of the residential development industry in
the UK, supported by WWF, Insight Investment and the
Housing Corporation.

Page 36 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Feedback
This Sustainability Report relates to the period from the 1st January
2007 to 31st December 2007. Information provided covers all of our
house building operations and provides a transparent account of our
sustainability performance and how we address the social, ethical and
environmental impacts of our business.
More detailed information on how we manage sustainability can
be found on the Corporate Responsibility pages of our website at:
www.persimmonhomes.com.
Further information about the Group can be found in our 2007
Annual Report and Accounts.
We value your feedback on our approach to Sustainability and
would appreciate your comments on this report. You can email
us at feedback@persimmonhomes.com or write to:
Neil Francis
Company Secretary
Persimmon Plc
Persimmon House
Fulford
York YO19 4FE

Page 37 Persimmon Plc
Sustainability Report 2007
Sustainability Data Table
Units 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Housing completions No. 12,163 12,360 12,636 16,701 15,905
ENVIRONMENT Units 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
EcoHomes built No. – – – – 1,539
Average SAP rating
Appliances installed with an energy
– 92.3 93.5 94.5 90.6*
efficiency rating of A or B % – – 92% 99% 99%
Total waste generated Thousand
tonnes – – 128.1 150.7 150.5
Waste recycled Thousand
tonnes – – 85.8 96.3 102.2
Waste generated per dwelling constructed Tonnes – – 10.8 9.0 9.5
Homes built on brownfield land No. 6,082 6,340 7,141 9,352 8,906
Percentage of homes built on brownfield land % 50% 51% 57% 56% 56%
Trees planted (including structural planting) No. 29,000 28,000 57,496 56,518 85,472
Trees planted per home No. 2.4 2.3 4.6 3.4 5.4
Environmental prosecutions No. 0 1 0 0 2
HEALTH & SAFETY Units 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
No. of RIDDOR reportable incidents No. 159 146 133 172 172
RIDDOR’s per 1,000 employees
Operating businesses achieving bronze
No. 11.9 11.5 10.3 12.9 12.2
or above standard PASS (Site inspection) % 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Health & Safety Executive prosecutions No. 2 1 0 0 1
Health & Safety Executive interactions No. – – 89 92 64
WORKING AT PERSIMMON Units 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Total employees No. 4,273 4,602 4,613 5,349 5,501
Female employees No. – 1,299 1,302 1,511 1,705
Percentage of female employees % – 28% 28% 28% 31%
Female directors No. – 17 21 26 24
Training days provided No. 4,200 5,982 6,282 6,714 6,320
Apprentices No. 327 409 393 324 267
Apprentices as a percentage of total workforce % 8% 9% 9% 6% 5%
Apprentices completing NVQs No. 0 49 53 116 94
CUSTOMERS
Customers who would recommend
Units 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Persimmon to a friend % – – 86% 86% 86%
PERSIMMON IN THE COMMUNITY Units 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Social and partnership homes completed
Social and partnership homes as a percentage
No. 1,000 1,014 1,039 1,402 1,967
of total homes completed % 8.0% 8.0% 8.0% 8.4% 12.4%
Charitable donations made by the Group £ 89,000 81,500 136,000 251,000 210,000
Employee charitable fundraising £ – – – 326,000 340,000
Data marked – was not recorded at that time
* In 2007 the SAP rating scale changed from 1-120 to 1-100

Persimmon Plc
Persimmon House
Fulford
York YO19 4FE
Telephone 01904 642199
Fax 01904 610014
www.persimmonhomes.com