Quality assured in battle for green plaudits

Judges have praised the exceptionally high quality of the entrants for this year’s awards, ranging from some of Yorkshire’s largest employers to social enterprises, primary schools and grassroots community projects.

Leading the way with three nominations is NG Bailey, the Ilkley-based building services firm. Dairy giant Arla Foods and construction firm Interserve have both been nominated for two awards.

The winners will be announced at an awards night at the Queens Hotel in Leeds on May 19 hosted by BBC TV presenter Julia Bradbury. Keynote speaker will be Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman.

Yorkshire Post editor Peter Charlton said: “With a record 127 entries this year, our Environment Awards continue to go from strength to strength. Judging such a powerful and diverse range of entries has once again proved extremely challenging, but it has also been truly inspiring to witness the scope of the environmental work being carried out right across Yorkshire.

“The fact that some of the largest businesses in the region are putting forward such strong entries for these awards reflects the importance of environmental responsibility to achieving commercial success in the modern era - as well as to helping make Yorkshire a more green and pleasant land.

“Just as important is the hugely impressive work being undertaken by schools, volunteers and activists up and down the region, as they strive to make their communities a better place for all.

“The number and high quality of the entries we have received this year demonstrate once again that genuine environmental progress can still be achieved even during straitened economic times.”

The coveted Best Environmental Business Award, won last year by Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate, will this year be a battle between three large employers from across the region – Arla Foods, NG Bailey and Sheffield Forgemasters. All three have taken major strides over recent years to become more environmentally friendly.

The award for Innovation, sponsored by Science City York, will be contested by Sheffield-based Chesterfield Biogas, a project aiming to inject bio-methane into the national gas grid; GWE Biogas, nominated for the second year running after opening a large anaerobic digestion plant at Driffield; and Loadhog, another Sheffield-based firm which has designed transit systems which eliminate the need for large amounts of plastic packaging.

Nominees for the Manufacturer of the Best Green Product, sponsored by Banks Renewables, include Geo Robson and Co. (Conveyors), a Sheffield firm which has designed a new type of conveyor belt to move biomass fuels upon a bed of air. It will be up against Leeds-based bed manufacturer Harrison Spinks, which has bought its own wool farm to increase its use of local materials; and the Instant Barrage Company, which has created a new product for repairing potholes from recycled materials.

The award for Built Environment Projects over £1m, sponsored by Grant Thornton, will be contested by Citu for its pioneering Greenhouse development of homes and offices in Leeds; Interserve, for the £14.4m Ripon Flood Defence Scheme; and the new Sheffield City College.

Nominees for Built Environment Projects under £1m, sponsored by Logistik, also include Interserve, this time for its work creating wetlands at Fishlake. It will be up against Skipton firm Eagerlux, for its restoration of the town’s historic High Corn Mill, and NG Bailey, for its innovative water pumping stations.

Nominees for the Countryside Award, sponsored by Northern Gas Networks, are Forest of Bradford, a long-running tree-planting scheme; the Raydale Project, a community-led restoration scheme in the Yorkshire Dales; the Yorkshire Dry Stone Walling Guild, a not-for-profit group which provides courses to keep the art of dry stone walling alive; and Yorkshire Water, which has embarked upon a range of projects to protect important sites under its control.

The Young People’s Award, sponsored by Asda, will be contested by three schools – Croxby Primary in Cottingham; Deighton Gates Primary in Wetherby; and Ravenscliffe High School and Sports College in Halifax.

Nominees for the Community Award, sponsored by Yorkshire Water, are Doncaster Refurnish, a social enterprise which employs disadvantaged people to collect and re-sell bulky household waste; Friends of St Nicholas Fields, a group of volunteers who have transformed a wasteland in York into a thriving nature reserve; and the Whirlow Farm Trust, a sustainable farm-based education charity near Sheffield.

The Climate Change Award, sponsored by InterfaceFLOR, will be contested by Arla; the Huddersfield-based building firm Green Building Store; and NG Bailey, for their respective efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

The Yorkshire Post Green Champion will be announced on the night. For tickets contact Debbie Richmond, secretary to the editor, on 0113 238 8432.

THE SHORTLIST

Best Environmental Business

Arla Foods

NG Bailey

Sheffield Forgemasters

Innovation Award, sponsored by Science City York

Chesterfield BioGas

GWE Biogas

Loadhog

Manufacturer of the Best Green Product, sponsored by Banks Renewables

Geo Robson & Co (Conveyors)

Harrison Spinks

Instant Barrage Company

Built Environment, Projects over £1m, sponsored by Grant Thornton

Citu – Greenhouse

Interserve – Ripon Flood Defence Scheme

Sheffield City College

Built Environment, Projects under £1m, sponsored by Logistik

Eagerlux – High Corn Mill

Interserve – Fishlake restoration

NG Bailey – pumping stations

Countryside Award, sponsored by Northern Gas Networks

Forest of Bradford

Raydale Project

Yorkshire Dry Stone Walling Guild

Yorkshire Water

Young People’s Award, sponsored by Asda

Croxby Primary School

Deighton Gates Primary School

Ravenscliffe High School and Sports College

Community Award, sponsored by Yorkshire Water

Doncaster Refurnish

Friends of St Nicholas Fields

Whirlow Hall Farm Trust

Climate Change Award, sponsored by InterfaceFLOR

Arla Foods

Green Building Store

NG Bailey