There are some great examples of local Best Practice in West Bergholt.
West Bergholt Parish Council
Environment Committee
Decision by Committee to leave a portion of the Mumford Close oak greensward for wildlife. Progress has been recorded regularly in Environment Committee minutes since February 2023.
The committee also oversees other ‘wildlife’ areas for example on the Heath and around the Lorkin Daniell field.
They have developed a Heath Management Strategy, a Tree Removal & Replacement Policy and an Environmental Strategic Plan.
Orpen Memorial Hall
- Solar installation – link to case study.
- LED lighting – the Parish Council was also recently awarded £9,975 to add another battery to the solar panel storage system. They will also replace the lighting at the Orpen Memorial Hall with LED and energy efficient lighting, all in a bid to keep those energy costs being passed down onto hirers. Work is taking place August 2023 with a full article to follow.
- Work too will take place this summer to add smart thermostats to all of the radiators in the Orpen and John Lampon Hall to enable the hall to be heated, just when it needs it. Work also taking place August 2023, with a full article to follow.
Planning Committee
The committee will be working on an equivalent of Village Design Statement (VDS) in the coming months. This will provide an energy efficiency guide for those building in West Bergholt.
St Mary’s Church
St Mary’s Church is taking part in a scheme to become an Eco Church. Eco Church is an award scheme for churches in England and Wales who want to demonstrate their care for creation as an integral part of loving their neighbour and following God faithfully.
A Rocha UK runs the scheme. Part of a worldwide family of A Rocha organisations, A Rocha UK is committed to nature conservation as an expression of Christian mission. Here is the link to their website: https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/
The scheme works by completing a free online survey which focuses on what actions the church is taking on:
- Worship and teaching.
- How it looks after its buildings.
- How it looks after its land.
- How it engages with the local community and in global campaigns.
- In the personal lifestyles of the members of its congregation.
The actions taken will count towards an Eco Church Award at Bronze, Silver or Gold level. St Mary’s is currently working through the survey questions and is very close to achieving the Bronze level award.
Heathlands School
Heathlands School has it’s very own Eco Council, made up of one child per class from years 1 to 6. They attend weekly meetings, representing all ages. The aim of the eco council is to:
Help the planet by spreading awareness of environmental issues and doing our best to lead change by helping our school and the local community become greener.
Fairfields Farm
This local potato crisp producer farms the fields around West Bergholt, aiming to use sustainable methods wherever possible. They are attempting to be on a path to get to carbon neutral, and then on to net zero.
Co-op Store
The Co Op have long been known for as a responsible and ethical business and in West Bergholt its policies are no different. It’s Environmental Sustainability Policy lists its aims in becoming a fully carbon neutral business achieved by a combination of robust emissions reduction and carbon offset strategies.
- The West Bergholt Co Op has many locally sourced foods, with less travel miles.
- It has a soft plastics recycling bin, for many plastics which cannot be recycled at the kerbside.
- It has joined the Sustainable Seafood Coalition.
- Its own brand tea, coffee, chocolate and sugar are all fairtrade, ensuring higher economic and environment standards for farmers.
- They were the first major retailer to begin selling edible food beyond its ‘Best Before’ date for a nominal 10p, going by the “Use By” date instead.
- It sends 100% of all its food waste with a ‘Use by’ date to anaerobic digestion, converting it into biogas and compost fertiliser. Their bags are either compostable or reusable.
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Case Studies
You can find best practice case studies on this page.