Winners Of The 2008 North Norfolk Environment Awards

18 July 2008

The best 'green' projects in North Norfolk in 2007/08 have been rewarded today at a ceremony near Cromer.

North Norfolk District Council gave its annual Environment Awards today to the projects that have done most in the last year to preserve and enhance the District's precious environment, at a ceremony at Felbrigg Hall.

The winners were as follows:

Green Building
Joint 1st prize

Salthouse Heritage Orchard

• The orchard preserves old varieties of apples and pears. A straw bale barn has been custom-built as part of a course, using locally-sourced material and reclaimed timber, with low embodied energy and rainwater collection for watering the young trees. It is used for apple processing, designed around the size and shape of the apple crates, and fits visually in its context of a young orchard. Its natural insulating properties will work to keep apples to an even, cool temperature.

Sedum House, Gimingham

• A family home created using new technologies to provide a spacious, yet economically heated indoor environment. The contours of the site itself have been used to provide earth insulation on the north side with passive gain from summer and winter sunshine. The front lawn has pipes beneath capturing heat for the heat exchange system, which is supported by solar technology. The curved sedum roof blends with the surroundings and harvests rainwater for use within the building.

Schools
1st prize

Fakenham High School Team Eco

• Team Eco was formed to brainstorm ideas to improve how key aspects within the school might be addressed, and has drawn up an action plan for reducing waste, saving energy, raising awareness and cutting car use between sites. Students have used recycled materials to make both art and functional pieces of work.

Highly Commended certificate

Stalham High School Council
North Walsham Junior School Wildlife garden
Sheringham High School Eco Team

Community
Joint first prize

Sheringham Health Centre Physic/Sensory Garden

• This accessible garden has been designed and constructed by Sheringham in Bloom, using railway sleepers for raised beds. Mulched with gravel, the beds are planted with scented, medicinal plants including sturdy herbs that will need less attention than conventional annual plantings.

Sheringham Town Council Top Common Dewpond

• An ambitious plan to reinstate a natural dewpond on the Common that had gradually become overgrown, providing valuable habitat and fresh water for resident amphibians and birds. The Common has mown paths, allowing longer grass to provide cover for wildlife. The pond has already been colonized by a number of plant and animal species, and is enjoyed by children for pond dipping.

Highly Commended

Friends of Saddlers Wood
Southrepps Commons Trust Forest School

Business
1st prize

The Broads by Bike

• Norfolk is an ideal place for cycling holidays but local knowledge helps people get off the beaten track. Cycle hire businesses got together to compile a free leaflet, using grant funding that draws together the different routes that have already been well researched around the Broads area, highlighting points of interest along the way and on safer roads and tracks.

2nd prize

Wroxham Lions Charity Shop

Special Award dedicated to the memory of John Sweeney, former Leader and Chairman of North Norfolk District Council

Roots and Shoots, Holt Hall Field Study Centre

• An overgrown walled garden has been revitalized into a vibrant project, growing vegetables for the Study Centre and teaching skills to a wide range of young people from schools across North Norfolk. The support of volunteers helped to clear the ground and the wider community continues to be involved in this practical project. From growing food and understanding lifecycles, the project makes use of different tasks to help bring an original and tangible approach for the participants.

The trophy for the John Sweeney Award, named in memory of the late North Norfolk District Council Leader Councillor John Sweeney, was hand-made by pupils at Sheringham Woodfields School.

Category winners apart from the special category win a £250 prize, while winners receive a plaque recognising their success; both winners and runners-up are presented with a certificate.