BCE Millennium Award Winner
Presented on 5th February 2001 by BCE Founder Sir Peter Parker and by the incoming President for the scheme, Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chairman of AEA Technology and prominent environmentalist.
ISLAND WASTE SERVICES - for its Organic Waste Recycling.
One major challenge facing the Isle of Wight was the problem of waste - it was fast running out of landfill sites yet transporting waste from the island was prohibitive. So in 1998 the County Council let the first integrated waste management contract - a £40m, 12 year deal, which was won by Island Waste Ltd, a subsidiary of Biffa. The aim of this contract was to divert as much as possible from landfill. There was an emphasis on recycling. Non-recyclable products are used in Refuse Derived Fuel for the local power station. And the last landfill site on the island is managed as efficiently as possible, as part of the comprehensive contract.
One aspect of the scheme was to divert organic materials from the waste stream. Already in excess of 60 tonnes of organic waste are collected by Island Waste from households and businesses. This includes garden waste - and in the future will involve sewage sludge as well. Using three Canadian Invessel Composting Plants - the first of their kind in Europe - a 14 day process transforms the organic waste to usable garden compost. The benefits are clear - saving landfill - and saving finite resources through reducing the need for peat.
In the first year a recycling rate of 33% was achieved. This has now increased to 49% - almost twice the government target and considerably more than the national average of 6%. The BCE Assessors believe that this comprehensive and imaginative scheme is worthy of a BCE Premier Award.
www.islandwaste.co.uk
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BCE Millennium Award Winner
Presented on 5th February 2001 by BCE Founder Sir Peter Parker and by the incoming President for the scheme, Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chairman of AEA Technology and prominent environmentalist.
STRATTONS HOTEL - Swaffham.
In the early 90s the Vanessa and Les Scott made the decision to use their skills to go into the tourism business. They acquired a Grade 2 listed building in the heart of Swaffham and set about renovating it to an exceptionally high level of quality.
Their 'green' approach was initially driven by the need to make savings wherever possible - without compromising quality. In 1997 they joined the local Business Link Waste Minimisation project, and they became convinced that sustainability and all it stood for was the way ahead - but that such an approach should be no sacrifice to quality. Indeed, they recently featured in the Independent as one of the UK's top 50 hotels. Small things add up - re-using envelopes, for example, not for customer correspondence but for letters to the taxman or environmental health officers. Savings in electricity, cutting down on waste, appraising all purchases as to their impact on the environment - how much packaging was involve d. Just ½ bin of waste a week is generated. All these have resulted in financial savings. And their customers are subtly involved.
A further development in the Scotts' philosophy related to food. In 1995 Vanessa had become Vegetarian Chef of the Year and has regularly appeared on Anglia TV and the BBC Good Food show. Use of local produce became a focus - benefiting the local economy of the Swaffham area as well as reducing transport and packaging requirements. Home sourced material was also used where possible - using home grown bantam eggs to minimise salmonella problems for example. Strattons helped the East of England Tourist Board create its Green Audit kit. Then recognising how little 'Agenda 21' had impacted on the tourism industry the Scotts set out promoting their beliefs. In their quest to 'spread the word' they received a Green Globe Award presented at the Berlin World Trade Fair. They became the first UK hotel to get the Queens Award for Environmental Achievement.
The approach of Vanessa and Les Scott exudes imagination, energy and vision, somehow encapsulated in their stated mission : 'reduce-reuse-recycle-rethink-rationalise-rework-recover' …. Their's is a long term commitment to all aspects of their operation - not just achieving excellence and sustainability, but energetically and enthusiastically promoting issues locally - and increasingly globally.
www.strattons-hotel.co.uk
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BCE Millennium Award Winner
Presented on 5th February 2001 by BCE Founder Sir Peter Parker and by the incoming President for the scheme, Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chairman of AEA Technology and prominent environmentalist.
DERBY CITY/OVE ARUP - for Pride Park.
Derby In the second round of the government's City Challenge programme, Derby City Council were successful with a major regeneration project, the core of which became Pride Park - developed by a partnership primarily involving the Council and Ove Arup. The 80Ha site in the heart of Derby, bordered by the River Derwent, had been heavily industrialised since the 1830s, with railway engineering, gas works, a municipal refuse tip and gravel extraction. The design brief for the site was a very tall tall order, according to the successful tenderers Ove Arup, but they formulated a development strategy which was innovative, sustainable and robust - and able to withstand the scrutiny of fellow environmental engineers, end users, financial inspectors, the Environment Agency and local and national environmental protection groups.
The site was particularly heavily polluted, with oils, tars, heavy metals, ammonia, boron and low level radioactive material. Ove Arup developed a specific classification system for the soils and groundwater on the site - and formulated a "suitable for end-use" approach, now promoted by DETR. 1m square feet of obsolete former engineering workshops were removed, a massive bentonite wall created, a sealed waste repository was constructed, a capillary break blanket put in to assist soil cleaning, a gas vent plant was constructed, a modular groundwater treatment system was installed and a water treatment plan built.
Co-ordinated by a new, limited life City Pride Company, community involvement was important, with a Stakeholders Forum established and a publicised Code of Practice for developments. The City Council assisted the development process with a 35-day turn-around for planning applications. Two-thirds of the workforce were recruited from within 5 miles of the site - and the developments now include blue chip companies, high tech and manufacturing sites, a new Premier League Football Stadium - and a green conservation area allowing access for the first time in 160 years.
The £250m project - £24m coming from the government - has secured some 4000 new jobs. It has resulted in robust, innovative and elegant solutions to the major problems of contamination which are being widely disseminated. Indeed its success influenced Lord Rodger's Urban Task Force in its report 'Towards Urban Renewal'. Our Assessor concluded : "this scheme demonstrates total commitment by all those involved throughout all stages of development to the highest standards of environmental good practice. The scheme has achieved the objective of the reclamation of a major, heavily polluted site producing a sustainable development with considerable gains to the environment and the community - the catalyst for the regeneration of Derby."
www.derbycity.com
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BCE Millennium Award Winner
Presented on 5th February 2001 by BCE Founder Sir Peter Parker and by the incoming President for the scheme, Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chairman of AEA Technology and prominent environmentalist.
THAMES WATER - The Wetland Centre, Barnes.
This is another very high profile project - the bringing to fruition of Sir Peter Scott's dream of a Wildfowl Centre bringing wildlife to Londoners - an exemplary partnership between Thames Water - who are regular BCE winners - Berkeley Homes and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. Thames Water London Ring Main in the late 1980s made redundant the 58Ha Victorian Barns Elms Water Treatment Works. The four reservoirs on the site - contained by 1m thick concrete - were a liability under the Reservoirs Act. However, Sir Peter Scott had already identified the site as a potential Wildfowl Centre - and Thames Water set about developing a viable and sustainable end use for the site.
This, the most ambitious wetland project in any European city, was made possible by a partnership allowing the planning concept 'Enabling Development' to go ahead. Berkeley Homes used 9Ha of the site for high quality - award winning - housing, with £12m of the proceeds used towards the creation of the Wetland Centre. Already an SSSI, 8Ha of water had to be kept at all times, while also under planning consent no materials could be removed from site. However, 30 reformed lakes, ponds and marshes were created, 27 water control sluices built, 250m of boardwalk and 27 bridges constructed. Using the crushed concrete from the reservoirs, 3.4km of pathway was built, 27000 trees and 200,000 aquatic plants were planted - and a 2.5 sq.m visitor centre created.
And so an imaginative and bold project has resulted in the Barnes Wetland Centre, with the Sir Peter Scott Centre attracting 350,000 people pa. Now managed by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust on a 125 year lease from Thames Water, this is a most worthy Business Commitment to the Environment Premier Award.
www.wwt.org.uk/visit/wetlandcentre/
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BCE Millennium Award Winner
Presented on 5th February 2001 by BCE Founder Sir Peter Parker and by the incoming President for the scheme, Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chairman of AEA Technology and prominent environmentalist.
SCOTTISH TOURISM & ENVIRONMENT FORUM - for its Green Tourism Business Scheme.
In 1998 the Scottish Tourist Board, Highland & Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise launched the Green Tourism Business Scheme - probably the most innovative and effective of the various accreditation schemes for the tourist industry in the world. It is now part of the STB portfolio of quality assurance schemes.
Scotland's image as a green destination formed the nucleus of its domestic and international marketing. 86% of overseas visitors said they were attracted by the quality of the Scottish environment - not just the scenery but the perceived purity of the environment. The Green Tourism Business Scheme's slogan is "Positive impact - helping the Scottish tourism industry put it number one assets first."
A key to the success of the scheme has been its flexibility, recognising differences in location, type and style of tourist facilities. 10 areas of environmental impact are independently assessed, with the establishments paying for the assessment. Three levels are awarded - bronze, silver and gold. For the Gold level - as in Gleneagles Hotel - 60 out of 104 measures are selected, including several compulsory ones, and an 80%+ score is needed. For the bronze award, in the self-catering category 23 out of 100 measures are counted, again with a 80% scoring. The beauty of the scheme is that it is inclusive of all types of establishments the length and breadth of the country - including remote youth hostels.
Specific achievements to come out of the scheme include the promotion of the use of eco-friendly materials to the saving of five figure amounts in electricity savings - £35000 in the case of one 3-star hotel. In addition, the promotion of the reduction of the use of the car, training programmes for staff, reuse and recycling schemes, the setting up of green teams and the installation of reedbed sewage systems illustrate the variety of positive impacts.
Over 12% of all bed stock in Scotland is already accredited, with increasing numbers of other tourist related businesses. Suppliers, customers and staff are all involved in this measurable scheme which encourages improvements through a progression from one level to another. It unashamedly promotes financial savings and self-interest for Scottish tourism - but it also encourages good practice - a clear example of business commitment to the environment and a world leader in sustainable tourism.
www.greentourism.org.uk/
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BCE Millennium Award Winner
Presented on 5th February 2001 by BCE Founder Sir Peter Parker and by the incoming President for the scheme, Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chairman of AEA Technology and prominent environmentalist.
WATES MIDLAND - for Bowater House project, West Bromwich.
Wates won the contract to retrofit a 1960s brick clad 9 storey tower block in a particularly run-down part of West Bromwich. As principal contractor Wates set about an innovative and bold approach to the project, working particularly closely with the tenants and the local authority. The result was an emphasis on eco-design - for techniques and materials and suppliers, with a use of local labour.
Photo voltaic cells on the roof utilised sunshine to run the tower block lifts, ventilation, heat recovery units and community lighting. All materials used in the £1.7m project are reusable or recyclable. The response from the residents has been tremendous and the programme is now involving similar properties in West Bromwich. The company itself has used the experience to further develop its thinking, working to ISO14001, refining its environmental policy and involving its workforce - by an excellent little newsletter, for example.
The BCE Assessor concluded: "The project combines the best of new technology in an imaginative format whilst encouraging and educating a deprived community, providing a boost to the regeneration of the area. The contractors have worked enthusiastically with the Council and the tenants to achieve this excellent end product."
www.wates.co.uk/
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BCE Millennium Award Winner
Presented on 5th February 2001 by BCE Founder Sir Peter Parker and by the incoming President for the scheme, Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chairman of AEA Technology and prominent environmentalist.
CHESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL - for Crewe Business Park.
A partnership between Cheshire County Council and Crewe & Nantwich District Council - the further development of Crewe Business Park. This project was recognised in the 1990s as "the premier business park in the North West" - the first ecologically-based development of its kind. Out of an area of former playing fields and intensive agriculture - where in 1937 it was planned to site the Crewe Municipal Airport - came the 35Ha Crewe Business Park. The area was of limited ecological value and the design concept was in fact to enhance the wildlife value of the area, bringing the countryside up to the office blocks as they were built. High standards were and are expected from developers, through a published Developers Guide. No particular style or design is imposed but unity and harmony are achieved by careful control of building form, height, choice of materials and site layout. The overall concept reflects the heritage of Cheshire's stately homes - nature coming right up to the front door as in 18th century classical landscape design.
Now a new, innovative Management Plan for the whole site has taken over from the development plans, to ensure the continuing quality of the local environment. Each company meets the park ranger to review conservation work and the new plan aims to integrate business development within the Cheshire landscape by further developing and maintaining a diverse mosaic of wildlife habitats. Agenda 21 and sustainable development are specific objectives and over 150 individual projects are identified, including bringing back the black poplar, the rarest of our native timber trees.
www.crewebusinesspark.co.uk/
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BCE Millennium Award Winner
Presented on 5th February 2001 by BCE Founder Sir Peter Parker and by the incoming President for the scheme, Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chairman of AEA Technology and prominent environmentalist.
MOUCHEL/NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL - for Ripon By-Pass
The award goes to engineering consultants Mouchel in partnership with North Yorkshire County Council, for the Ripon by-pass project.
The historic city of Ripon, with its compact centre and narrow streets, was in the early 90s becoming dangerously choked with traffic. An inner relief road was unacceptable to the community. The idea of an outer ring road - first mooted in the 1930s - was developed by North Yorkshire County Council and in 1993, it got the go-ahead for the project.
By 1999 a 4.2km single carriageway by-pass to the east of Ripon had been constructed - with a range of associated improvements, carried out in as sensitive a way as possible, with screening and use of sympathetic materials. 1km of new stone walls were built, 5.5km of hawthorn hedge and 44000 trees planted. The design concept was an integration of the new road into the landscape by utilising existing features - such as a disused railway. Various bridges were involved, including the strengthening of a listed 3-span 1850s railway bridge to take the by-pass. A new 6-span bridge over the River Ure needed special design consideration because of the presence of gypsum sink holes in the area.
The project has 'saved' the centre of the city. It has been the catalyst for further improvements, including pedestrianisation and the restoration of the Ripon Canal almost up to the cathedral. The £17m project won 3 Ripon Civic Society awards in recognition of the effectiveness of the project, its innovative techniques and its contribution towards the sustainability of Ripon as an attractive market town.
www.mouchel.com
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BCE Millennium Award Winner
Presented on 5th February 2001 by BCE Founder Sir Peter Parker and by the incoming President for the scheme, Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chairman of AEA Technology and prominent environmentalist.
CO-OPERATIVE BANK - for its Partnership Reporting
In 1844 the Rochdale Pioneers sowed the seeds for a revolution in commerce in founding the Co-operative Movement. In 1872 the movement had grown so much that it established a bank. In 1997 on its 125th anniversary, the Co-operative Bank developed a concept of accountability beyond just shareholders and customers, to include a further five 'Partner Groups' - staff and their families, suppliers, local communities, society nationally and internationally and past and future generations.
It followed this by producing its first Partnership Reports - the UK's nearest thing to a true Corporate Sustainability report - quantifying and measuring social responsibility and ecological sustainability and assessing the value it brings to all of its partners.
The Bank's determination and commitment to minimising the depletion of global resources and contributing to sustainability deliberately sets a high standard for others to follow. As BCE Vice President Jonathon Porritt said: "As people continue to wrestle with what sustainable development really means, the Co-operative Bank Partnership reports give an innovative and significant insight into that reality."
This is the first time a major UK company has had such an exercise independently verified. The Co-op's philosophy is that business should have benefits beyond profit - but note that in the year between the first and second reports profit rose by 34% illustrating BCE's belief that commitment to the environment and profitability do go hand in hand. The next development for the Bank is an assessment of secondary impacts - the consequences of the Bank's actions in changing the behaviour of others : no doubt a future BCE award.
Meanwhile, as the Partnership Report says "In the business world at large there's a wide recognition of the urgent need for more corporate accountability, for organisations to report openly and honestly on the impact of their activities upon society and the environment. At the Co-op Bank we're prepared to stand up for our beliefs. This government has indicated a willingness to legislate for more meaningful corporate disclosure, particularly with regard to the environment. We welcome that, but in the absence of mandatory reporting, we will continue to report on all aspects of our performance, playing a pioneering role as we have in so many other means through the Bank's long history."
www.co-operativebank.co.uk/
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