The Isle of Wight Council is congratulating Arc Biodiversity and Climate and Artecology following their success at the CIRIA’s BIG Biodiversity Awards last week.
The BIG Biodiversity Awards were launched in 2013 by CIRIA – the Construction Industry Research and Information Association – to showcase the best example of biodiversity enhancements in construction and the wider built environment.
Hat trick of awards
Island organisations Arc and Artecology, with their corporate partner LaSalle Investment Management, won a hat-trick of awards:
- Community Engagement Award for Arc’s work on the Wild Glades project which featured the revitalisation of a green roof, a pop-up natural museum in a London shopping centre and an online biodiversity festival;
- Habitat Creation Award together with Bournemouth University for Artecology’s collaboration on a cross-Channel research project between industry-based and academic partners which explores habitat creation on manmade coastal structures. One of the project’s workstreams grew out of Artecology’s innovation, cement-cast artificial rockpools, now known as Vertipools™;
- Arc and LaSalles Wild Glades project went on to be awarded BIG Biodiversity Award 2021 Overall winner.
Jones-Evans: Well-deserved awards testament to passion and hard work
Commenting on their win, Cabinet lead for Regeneration, Business Development and Tourism, Cllr Julie Jones- Evans, said,
“I’d like to congratulate Arc and Artecology on their success at the prestigious BIG Biodiversity Awards, in recognition of the great work they are doing to promote biodiversity and the Biosphere.
“These well-deserved awards are testament to their passion and hard work in ensuring that biodiversity becomes an integral part of planning and development projects.
“We are currently working with them on the innovative Branstone ‘eco-hamlet’ which will see a trail-blazing housing, commercial, ecological and tourism scheme, which will also include a purpose-built biosphere centre on site. I wish them even more success in the future.”
Council collaborations
The Isle of Wight Council has worked with Arc and Artecology on a number of projects. Arc were commissioned to shape the Place Plans for Newport, Ryde, Cowes and Northwood, creating a programme of strategic and practical actions to connect people and place.
More recently, the collaboration has included the environmental element of the biosphere themed development of housing and business units at Branstone Farm. Meanwhile, Artecology’s pioneering coastal habitat enhancements, the Vertipools, were supported from the very start by the council’s Coastal and Estuaries team.
Hector: Bringing nature, community and place together now top of global agenda
Speaking on behalf of the team at Arc and Artecology, Director Claire Hector said,
“It was wonderful seeing our partners and projects recognised by CIRIA and the built environment industry’s biodiversity awards! These projects are in fact beacons for our bigger picture. Our aim for LaSalle for example has been to show how a major company can move beyond compliance and into positive social and ecological impact for the environment it owns and manages, while supporting their ESG, business advantage and opportunities for investment.
“The importance of bringing nature, community and place together to shape a healthy, sustainable future is now top of the global agenda, but while things are starting to shift, there’s an urgent need for both expertise and collaboration to turn this into meaningful strategic and practical change.
“We believe that the Isle of Wight Biosphere’s know how, our demonstrable, imaginative work for wildlife and community, can create both local impact and support global change. We’re pleased to be working with the Isle of Wight Council on this, and we welcome working with other organisations and to shape better places and build biodiversity.”
Bacon: Making sure environment at heart of everything they do
Cllr Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet lead for Environment, Heritage and Waste, said,
“I too, would like to congratulate Arc Consulting and Artecology on their wins.
“They have a proven track record making sure the environment at the heart of everything they do with partners and we have worked with them on a number of projects where their expertise demonstrates how we can work hand-in hand with the Island’s wildlife and our community. I wish them even more success in the future.”
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
