<b>A checklist for the socially responsible housebuilder</b><br><b>Housebuilders are being driven to embrace Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as the land market tightens and social conscience shifts. Allison Heller looks at the bottom line benefits of blue-sky thinking, and practical steps for implementing the CSR agenda</b><br><b>No company report published in the past few years is complete without a peppering of the term Corporate Social Responsibility. But paying lip service is no longer enough as CSR is becoming necessary to businesses operating in a shifting social context. For housebuilders faced with increasing government control over land coupled with growing competition with RSLs, the need to be - and be seen as - socially responsible is forging a strong link between reputation and profit.</b><br> CSR means taking steps now with a view to the long-term future. It involves reviewing the ethics at the heart of a company on the basis that the bottom line should not be pursued without regard for its impact on people and the environment. In business terms, CSR recognises that customers want to deal with brands they trust and respect and shareholders want to invest where there is no risk of reputation damage. <p></p><p> &amp;“Responsible companies are looking for the …