Section B - Environmental Responsibility
In this section the judges will be looking for your year-round achievements in 5 key areas:
B1. Conservation and biodiversity
B2. Resource management
B3. Local heritage
B4. Local environmental quality
B5. Pride of place
Each of these key areas will make up 5% of your overall score and be worth a maximum of 10 points.
Please bear in mind that judges will be considering environmental responsibility across all areas of your local campaign so, for example, if you have a fabulous floral display they will also want to know if you have achieved this effect with consideration for the environment. Although this section does outline the key areas of environmental responsibility please bear this important core pillar in mind across all of your Bloom activities and initiatives.
The judges will take account of:
| SECTION B: ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY – 50 points; 25% | |
|---|---|
| B1. CONSERVATION AND BIODIVERSITY – 10 points; 5% | |
| Areas that may be included | Wildlife areas and natural habitats |
| What is assessed | Is the local bloom campaign involved in: Efforts being made to preserve and maintain these areas? Activities to educate the community and encourage them to visit these areas? Activities or plans to re-introduce or restore these areas where they have disappeared or been damaged? |
| B2. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT – 10 points; 5% | |
| Areas that may be included | Recycling; minimising demand placed on natural resources; minimising or where possible eliminating any harmful impact on the environment |
| What is assessed | What activities has the local bloom campaign been involved with or initiated to make strides in these areas? Has the bloom campaign shown due consideration to resource management in their own activities? For example, has the local bloom campaign recycled its container compost? Does the cemetery have a compost heap and waste separation area? Etc. |
| B3. LOCAL HERITAGE – 10 points; 5% | |
| Areas that may be included | Management and development of local heritage and/or identity such as natural heritage, community landmarks/icons, other heritage sites etc. |
| What is assessed | What activities has the local bloom campaign been involved with or initiated to ensure these areas are appropriately managed and developed? Has the campaign taken these areas into account in their own activities/initiatives? |
| B4. LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY – 10 points; 5% | |
| Areas/activities that may be included | Vacant premises and plots, litter, graffiti, fly-posting, dog fouling, water features/courses, litter picks etc. |
| What is assessed | Has the local bloom campaign considered these areas/activities and actively included them in their initiatives? Are the efforts in these areas/activities in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign? Do they show support for the campaign’s goals of improvement/enhancement? |
| B5. PRIDE OF PLACE – 10 points; 5% | |
| Areas that may be included | Management of street furniture, signage, art in the landscape, fences, way-marking, interpretation, hard landscaping etc. |
| What is assessed | Have these been considered in the initiatives of the local bloom campaign? Are the initiatives in these areas in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign? Do they show support for campaign’s goals of improvement/enhancement? |
The Yorkshire in Bloom campaign encourages environmentally responsible activities/projects which are designed to improve the areas where we live, work and spend our leisure time. Looking after our environment has become a very important community concern and we are all being encouraged to recycle and use environmentally responsible products and practices wherever and whenever possible. It is the expectation that participants in Britain in Bloom will strive to provide a co-ordinated approach so that all environmental issues are resolved in harmony with each other.
The judges will be looking for local bloom groups to either initiate or actively engage with programmes/activities (as appropriate) which are working towards providing environmental enhancements and which might include:
- Establishing nature conservation and wildlife areas
- Cleaning up polluted sites and appropriate treatment/screening of derelict property or other eyesores
- Active policies to reduce the demand placed on natural resources - e.g. source of water used for plants, use of peat, use of hardwood timber etc
- Maintaining and preserving natural habitat.
- Minimal use of pesticides and nitrate fertilisers and reducing or eliminating harmful effects on the environment
- Interventions, management and development of local heritage (including natural heritage)