Howbery named as finalist for innovation in Thames Valley Property Awards

Howbery Business Park is a finalist at The Business Magazine Thames Valley Property Awards in the Business and Science Park Innovation category. Our entry focused on our work to create a sustainable environment, and our biodiversity and environmental programmes. The winners of the awards will be announced on Thursday 9 December.

In the last year, we have introduced battery powered equipment – electric hedge cutters, strimmers, leaf blowers and electric utility vehicles – to reduce our fossil fuel consumption. This equipment can be charged directly from the park’s solar panels, and is extremely quiet, making it less disruptive to wildlife, and to meetings.

We are in our second year of Nurture Biodiversity Award scheme, for which we pick a different type of wildlife to focus on each year. We have completed one year of championing bumblebees and are now focusing on birds, for instance adding new bird boxes and feeders. The honey bees in our hives have once again produced a good haul of honey, which can be bought from Donna Bowles in the Estates Office, and is used in certain dishes in the Café.

We are continuing with other improvements for the natural world, including adding new bug hotels, and with our programme to preserve and manage our many existing trees and plant new ones.
Our workshops, which often have an environmental focus, have started up again with a honey extraction session in October. Our wreath-making workshop will run in December. There also 12 mini-allotments tended by our community, and of course the opportunity to simply stroll round the ground or take part in more active pursuits, including tennis, kayaking and volleyball.

None of our waste goes to landfill. Green waste is re-used on site – either composted, or chopped to decoratively dress our beds.