Frasers Property UK, integrated developer, investor and asset owner has become the first company in the world to achieve a three-star Fitwel accreditation for a business park. As well as two other certifications from the global body.

Frasers, which owns a UK portfolio of business parks totalling some 6.5 million sq ft including Farnborough Business Park which achieve the world’s first three-star accreditation, has also achieved the Fitwel certification for Winnersh Triangle in Reading and Chineham Park in Basingstoke. Collectively, the sites make up the largest Fitwel certified area globally.

The Fitwel Commercial Site certification assesses holistic health, including:

• Public realm access
• Pedestrian connectivity
• Proximity to open spaces
• Outdoor fitness areas and community destinations
• The provision of healthy food
• Embedding social resilience
• Occupant safety, and emergency preparedness

The scorecard assesses all site outdoor and common areas accessible by all occupiers, something in abundance at Farnborough Business Park which feature outdoor walking trails, green public space as well as public art installations, universal access for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and health promoting events such as yoga and bootcamp events.

Ilaria del Beato, CEO of Frasers Property UK said:

“The Fitwel accreditation is the benchmark for developers tuned into the realities of what modern occupiers want and need.  We have invested heavily in our business parks to ensure health and wellbeing are integral to the design, development, and the operation of our buildings.”

“Our business parks strengthen the connection between people and the places they live, work and visit. They are well-connected, have safe street infrastructure and our customers also have access to cafes, gyms, and beautifully landscaped green space – which has been welcomed by many after the lockdown period.”

“We’re proud the hard work is being recognised by organisations like Fitwel and look forward to welcoming more people to our business parks in the future.”

Joanna Frank, President and CEO of Fitwel and the Center for Active Design, said:

“We commend Frasers Property on their Fitwel Certification and for being leaders in the healthy building movement. The implementation of Fitwel’s strategies and best practices demonstrates Frasers Property’s commitment to prioritise their tenants’ health and well-being. As lockdown restrictions are lifted, Frasers Property is proactively ensuring the safety of the people in their buildings by being the largest certified area in the world.”

The achievement follows Frasers’ announcement of its detailed net zero carbon roadmap earlier this year. The company, which holds the largest business park portfolio under single ownership in the UK, committed to achieving net zero carbon by 2050, to achieve net zero carbon across operational areas of control by 2030, and to be climate resilient and establish mitigation and adaptation plans by next year.