Projects focused on nature, the environment and carbon reduction were to the fore at last night’s Ripon Civic Awards.
Three months after Ripon Civic Society held its biennial awards in April 2022, North Yorkshire Council declared a climate emergency and planned steps that it would take, alongside stakeholders, to tackle the issue of climate change under its strategy Beyond Carbon.
Since then, incidents such as the criminal felling of the Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumbria and council-sanctioned removal of trees at other locations across the UK, have increased both public and corporate awareness of the role that the natural environment plays alongside the built environment,
Prior to last night’s awards ceremony at the Workhouse Museum in Allhallowgate, civic society co-chair Richard Taylor, told the Stray Ferret:
“There was a common green thread running through the majority of entries considered by our panel of judges for the 2024 awards.
“We saw environmental consideration at the heart of the planning and delivery of developments and projects, ranging from the construction of a single private residence to Econ Engineering’s world-first multi-function E-QCB electric gritter, invented here in Ripon.”
ECON’s E-QCB electric gritter was highly commended at last night’s awards.
Mr Taylor and fellow civic society co-chair David Winpenny played video footage as they described each of the shortlisted entries, before the winners were announced and trophies presented by Mayor of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke.
Justin Scully, the National Trust’s general manager at Fountain’s Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, received, on behalf of the Skell Valley Project, the sustainability award, and also the Helen Whitehead Award for best overall project.
The four-year scheme, which received £2.6 million funding to tackle climate change-related flooding issues along a 12-mile stretch of the river that runs through Ripon and the world heritage site, was launched in 2021 and has seen collaboration between 16 organisations on 15 different environmental enhancement schemes.
Mr Scully said:
“We are extremely grateful for this recognition of our work, which has been made possible through a huge volunteer input and I’m pleased to report that just five percent of the funding monies has been spent at Fountains and Studley Royal, meaning that the entire valley has benefited from this initiative.”
Justin Scully receives the Helen Whitehead Award from mayor Sid Hawke
There was also recognition for other volunteer-supported environmentally focused projects, including the work carried out by the Lower Ure Conservation Trust at Nosterfield, where former sand and gravel pits have become transformed into habitat for an abundant range of wildlife through the re-introduction of threatened native species of plants grown in a nursery on site.
Mr Winpenny said:
“This project ticks every box in terms of its aims and the detailed thought that has been put into its planning and delivery over many years,”
Simon Warwick, director of the Lower Ure Conservation Trust and project officer Emma Higgs, receive the Younge Rosebowl Enviromental Award.
The Ripon Community Link walled garden is, through its on-site and community-based activities, enabling 60 adults with mild or moderate learning disabilities to grow and reach their full potential with the support of volunteers.
Their work was boosted last year with the opening of a new cafe and shop, which provides training opportunities and last night they received the John Whitehead Award,
The new cafe and shop at Ripon Walled Garden
The Hazzard Cup for best new building went to the owners of Maple Nook ,a custom-designed and built private residence on Heckler Lane in Ripon, which includes many eco-friendly features, while the Price Flagon for Best Building Restoration, was presented to the Westholme Road Barns on the Swinton Estate in Masham, where the use of reclaimed materials was central to bringing redundant farm buildings back to life.
The craftmanship award was received by Barrie Price on behalf of St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church on Coltsgate Hill, Ripon, where the second phase of its £500,000 restoration involved the creation of a porch extension to the south of the Grade II star listed building.
Judges were impressed by the use of stone, tiles, green oak timber and glass in sympathy with original design of the 160-year-old building, which now includes a much-needed accessible toilet for the use if parishioners and visitors,
A stone’s throw from the church is the Ripon Inn, which earned the Taylor Plate for City Centre Revitalisation.
The Inn Collection’s multi-million pound investment, which has transformed the former Spa Hotel, is welcomed by the civic society and Mr Taylor (who pointed out that the plate prize is not in his name) said:
“We now hope that the revitalisation of the Spa Quarter can soon be completed through the planned redevelopment of the nearby Spa Baths, which is in desperate need of restoration.”
The Ripon Inn
Just when it was thought that all the prizes had been presented, a new award was announced for the person who has made an outstanding contribution to Ripon Civic Society.
The inaugural winner Neill Clayton (pictured above with Mayor Sid Hawke) who will be known by many for the railway that he has created in his Dallamire’s Lane garden, which can be seen by people on scenic boat cruises along Ripon Canal.
Mr Clayton has an encyclopedic-knowledge of Ripon’s industrial history and is a long-term member of the society.
He has played an important role in providing accurate background information for heritage open days and also participates in them by allowing members of the public to see and ride on his railway.
He said:
“The industrial development of Ripon is something that we should all be proud of. It is a living thing that goes on, as we have seen tonight with ECON’s world-leading invention of an electric gritter.”
Main picture: The Mayor of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke, with award winners and civic society co-chairs David Winpenny and Richard Taylor.
£250,000 awarded to restore habitat at Nosterfield Nature Reserve
A conservation trust which runs Nosterfield Nature Reserve has been awarded £250,000 to help restore threatened natural habitats.
The 150-acre nature reserve is situated between the Rivers Ure and Swale at West Tanfield, between Ripon and Masham.
It is regarded as North Yorkshire’s premier wetland grassland. However, rare remnant areas of fen and magnesian limestone are in urgent need of attention.
The National Lottery’s Heritage Fund grant will enable Lower Ure Conservation Trust to tackle this by employing three staff and embarking on a project to restore natural habitats at Nosterfield,
The scheme will also improve other areas along the Ure.
Nosterfield is regarded as North Yorkshire’s premier wetland grassland.
Simon Warwick, director of the trust, said it was the biggest grant it had ever received. He added:
“Our animals, plants and invertebrate life have been poorly served by us humans in recent years. We are one of the most nature-depleted countries in Europe.
“In our small way, let’s hope this is the start of a fightback in this part of North Yorkshire. We are extremely grateful to the National Lottery players to have received this support.”
Read more:
- Ripon nature reserve gets £132,000 government boost
- English Heritage declines to buy Ripon’s ‘Stonehenge of the North’
The habitat restoration work will focus on wetland and magnesian limestone, including working alongside English Heritage on the neighbouring neolithic monument, Thornborough Henges.
There will be opportunities for local people to get involved through community planting days, which will be held in autumn 2024 and 2025.
Work at Nosterfield will include includes a range of priority habitats which will be restored, conserved and re-created as part of the project.
Lapwing are among the species that will benefit. Pic: Whitfield Benson
Species such as Bittern, Lapwing, Reed Bunting, Dingy Skipper and Tubular Water-dropwort will benefit from these habitat improvements.
The project, which starts on Monday (July 10) and will last for two-and-a-half years, also aims to connect people with nature by creating a community engagement officer role.
Emma Higgs, project officer at Nosterfield, said:
“One of the most exciting things about the project for me is getting more people involved in securing a future for our wildlife.
“We have some great volunteers but with more work to be done now we need more and better trained ones.
“We will be able to employ three new people and one of those roles will be to encourage school children to become involved.”
Simon Warwick and Emma Higgs. Pic: Frank Dwyer