Blakelands & the Environment
Like all responsible companies, Blakelands recognises the need to be aware of the environmental impact of our business.
This way of thinking is not something new to us, or something we have recently become aware of, Blakelands history has always been of an employer in the local community, providing services for the same community.
Originally as a farm, much larger than the current estate, employment was found here for many local residents.
Much the same can be said of the current use of Blakelands, local people are employed here in all capacities, providing services such as accommodation, wedding receptions & the restaurant for the local and now wider community.
When work started to open Blakelands publically, the same old farm buildings were reused, no new building was undertaken, and all the work carried out used reclaimed materials, bricks, tiles etc.
Testament to this was that in 1992 we were awarded a Design & Conservation Award by South Staffordshire Council.
Another major undertaking was the construction of the Sewage Treatment Plant, underground, out of sight, that treats all liquid waste that we produce, which through the use of bacteria, & without chemicals, treat the waste & after final filtering through our Reed Bed, all the water we use, whether for cooking, cleaning, laundry or by guests is suitable to be returned to the natural water course, this is monitored & checked by Severn Trent Water to ensure water quality levels are maintained.
New trees & hawthorn hedges have all been planted with additional trees planted each year on our estate, our aim is to replenish all the wood that we remove with new plantings to maintain a balance with what we remove & replace.
Since its inception, we have grown as much produce as we are able to use in our food, fruits, vegetables & herbs produced organically, without fertilisers on site are used in our cooking, and what waste can be safely composted is returned to the ground and vegetables, fruits that we need are all sourced locally, as are all our meats, with most coming from this and our neighbouring counties.
Oils used in our cooking processes are recycled & sent for use in the production of bio–diesel.
Waste is pre-treated & separated before collection. All Glass waste is returned for recycling, food waste is composted on site & combustible materials are incinerated.
We contnually monitor deveploments into alternative energy sources such as wind & solar to see if they might benefit us, & with partners such as alliance Co2, can offer a UK based carbon offset program to offset the carbon footprint we create, with additional options for our customers to add to this.
We all do generate a carbon footprint in our daily lives, and acitivities we undertake, such as holding a party or Wedding reception will add to this, to help minimise the impact of this, in conjunction with AllianceCO2, can offer you an option to offset the carbon emmisions generated by your day.
The Aim of this is to provide you with the option of a carbon neutral wedding.