green tourism awards case studies

• Cobble Hey Farm and Gardens
• The Blackpool Hilton
• The Strand Hotel

Cobble Hey Farm & Gardens

In March 2006, Cobble Hey Farm and Gardens received a Green Tourism Award for environmental sustainability. Cobble Hey comprises a popular country garden, gift shop and tea room, which sells a range of home-cooked local produce. Proprietor, Edwina Miller, has set out below various details of some of the measures that she and her team have implemented in order to improve sustainability and reduce operating costs.

• composting all vegetable waste
• re-using ash from the log fire as fertiliser for the gardens
• segregating all other waste for recycling - paper, card, glass, tins, other metals, plastic etc.
• re-using old telegraph poles to make raised seed beds
• using zoned heating and lighting controls
• placing on-site woodland under active stewardship
• installing solar powered garden lights
• re-using mushroom boxes to plant seedlings
• rainwater collection for watering garden
• sale of Fair Trade products in gift shop
• use of locally produced food and drink
• use of locally felled wood as a renewable fuel source for on-site heating
• use of low energy lighting and natural daylight wherever practical
• active co-operation with RSPB and local countryside rangers to manage land for the benefit of local wildlife
• promotion of traditional skills, including wood carving using local timber

In addition, Edwina is planning to introduce cycle stands this year in order to encourage greater numbers of visits by cyclists, and she is currently investigating the feasibility of introducing a bicycle hire facility. As a member of the Bowland Experience (a local network of rural tourism businesses) Cobble Hey may offer this service in conjunction with other local venues.

For more details about Cobble Hey Farm & Gardens, please visit its website.

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The Blackpool Hilton

With nearly 300 bedrooms, the Blackpool Hilton is certainly not a small hotel, but Chief Engineer Brian Jones, who has worked here for the best part of 20 years, has been able to identify many energy saving opportunities that would benefit even the smallest establishment.

Aiming to achieve 10% savings on waste and utilities, year on year, has given Brian the impetus to introduce some very imaginative solutions, some of which he has summarised for us here.

Raising staff awareness about the cost of waste and energy is almost certainly the single most useful exercise to undertake when seeking to cut costs and minimise environmental impact. Once people know the pounds and pence value of a television left on standby overnight, or the cost of leaving a window open in the colder months of the year, it becomes very easy to address many common problems.

Involving staff is also very important. The Blackpool Hilton invited its staff to suggest helpful new measures to save energy and reduce waste, and the results were very impressive. As a result of their suggestions, a number of changes were made, including:

• delivering newspapers to rooms in recyclable paper bags rather than plastic wrappers (which yielded a material saving of more than £1,000 per annum)
• replacing bulbs in meeting / conference rooms with energy efficient, lower wattage bulbs (saving 7.6 kilowatts per hour in one conference room alone)
• reducing and monitoring the set temperature of central heating boilers (saving 20% on gas consumption)
• changing the reflectors and reducing the wattage of carvery food heat lamps from 1kW to 500W, with no detriment to food quality and a reduction in the risk of accidental burns (saving 5kW).
• obtaining a special container (free of charge) for the disposal of lamp bulbs (reducing landfill volumes and the cost of removal)
• reducing the wattage of corridor lighting within appropriate limits (saving 60% on electrical lighting consumption; a reduction of 8kWh.)
• reducing area lighting via a master dimmer control (saving approx. 20% on lighting in public areas).

Another staff-inspired idea was to investigate the use of an unusual, but highly effective 'heatsave' system in the swimming pool. This water additive is entirely safe for swimmers and disperses in the water while the pool is in use, remaining both invisible and odourless. However, when the pool is unoccupied, it coalesces on the surface, where it acts as a heat barrier.

The effect is to conserve heat within the pool, which means that heating boilers can be run for shorter periods.

Elsewhere in the hotel, other measures have been put in place that have had an important effect on waste costs. Naturally, staff segregate and recycle waste wherever possible - making use of the EMPRISE Blackpool project - but there are other opportunities, too. For example, by agreeing a new contract with a local waste contractor, the Hilton has acquired an effective new compactor that reduce the volume of any waste that cannot be reused or recycled. This minimises the number of journeys that the contractor has to make to collect the waste, and yields a corresponding cost saving to the hotel.

With regard to the cost of low energy lighting, Brian has a handy tip. "We always write the date of installation on each bulb as it is being fitted. That way, if it fails before the expected time - whatever duration is quoted by the manufacturer - we can prove that the unit hasn't performed, and so it's usually possible to go back to the vendor to get a free replacement."

To minimise consumption of energy and water, other techniques and equipment that Brian has introduced include:

• Passive infra-red (PIR) detectors in washrooms and other parts of the hotel. This helps to minimise waste on lighting unoccupied rooms. There is a cost associated with their installation, as they must be fitted by a qualified electrician, but the long term savings more than pay for it. Sourced locally, they are high on Brian's list of cost efficient investments.
• Percussion taps (push operated) in washrooms and similarly operated pool-side showers.
• A central waste processing unit for all kitchens. This minimises the need for sluice-water to carry kitchen scraps through the building and also minimises the likelihood of maintenance problems.
• Thermostats on all radiators to enable them to be controlled individually.
• A chemical additive to the domestic hot water supply. This kills off harmful bacteria such as legionella while allowing temperatures to be reduced from 60 to 50 degrees Celsius.

But however much technology is installed, Brian insists that it is people that really make the difference. Good ideas and careful attention to the way the business operates are both invaluable. At the Hilton, ordinary staff from each department are asked to act as energy monitors and are given the authority to inform senior managers whenever there is a danger of energy being wasted. Likewise, cleaning staff play an active role in checking that appliances have been switched off when not in use - a move that has saved an enormous amount of energy, and therefore money.

In order to check energy use, sub-meters throughout the hotel have been installed and these allow Brian and his team to monitor when appliances such as ovens have been left on. Staff are made aware that utility use is being monitored and this plays an important part in keeping attention focused on efficiency.

Another human element of the system is the opportunity to introduce novel ideas. One such development has been the planting and sponsorship of new trees in the car park and around the hotel. Staff have been invited to sponsor a tree and many have done so in memory of relatives and friends. A small plaque is put beside each of the new trees (which have been chosen for their ability to flourish in coastal environments) and the proceeds then go to charity. It is an unusual but evidently very popular idea that is gradually 'greening' the surrounding grounds.

Those working on the Sustourex and Blue Sky Resorts Network projects would like to extend their thanks the Hilton Hotel and to Brian in particular, who has lent his valuable time and experience to help us to convey some of his useful ideas for improving environmental sustainability.

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The Strand Hotel

Established for many years as one of Blackpool’s most tasteful hotels, The Strand was taken over in July 2003 by Jane Bury and family.

To maintain the high standards already set, a refurbishment programme was undertaken and the Hotel officially re-opened in May 2004. The renovations were designed to maintain the stylish ambiance – with a contemporary feel. The Hotel currently offers 35 bedrooms with 15 sea-view rooms, including 8 executive rooms with everything required for a modern day traveller.

How We Helped

Jane was very conscious of the fact that many decisions taken during the refurbishment could have long term financial and environmental implications. Having joined the Blue Sky Resorts project (part of the Green Tourism Awards in the Blackpool area) she received advice on economical products to buy for the Hotel which would save money in long term and be more environmentally friendly.

“The workshops were a great help,” says Jane. “We were able to discuss ideas and products amongst people who either had specialist knowledge or had been in the same situation themselves. To be able to tap into such a resource free of charge was invaluable.”

The advice and support Jane received allowed her to make economically astute decisions based on facts.

Heat
The Hotel needed to examine its boiler system. When Jane took over, there were five separate boiler systems used to heat the hotel. Following advice, the Hotel installed one boiler unit to replace the existing five. This was not only more cost effective in overall management of utility charges but also gave the Hotel the option to heat the hotel by “zones” - i.e. the heat to each floor could be individually controlled, allowing savings when the Hotel was under occupied.

Light
When installing the lighting, it was decided to use energy saving bulbs. However, after talking to fellow Blue Skies members, LED lights were used which added to the contemporary style of the Hotel. The LED lights have a 10 year life.

The Strand Hotel has a formal environmental policy, available to all guests, and has also implemented the following measures:

• All staff are trained in the awareness of their duties with regard to the environment.
• Guests are encouraged to re-use towels and are also asked to leave recyclable materials in designated areas rather than dispose of them.
• Where possible, all recyclable waste is sorted and sent to the appropriate body.
• Information on local attractions is available in reception.
• All staff are local and are knowledgeable regarding attractions in the area.
• The Hotel arranges Rambling Weekends which include talks by guest speakers on subjects such as Ordnance Survey.

“Being part of the Blue Skies project has allowed us to access the information and advice we needed quickly and from people who understood the particular issues a hotelier faces.”
Jane Bury, Owner, The Strand Hotel