Green Conferences

A view over the lake at Brockholes with reedbeds in the foreground and woodland in the background

Geoff Kennedy - Reedbeds

Green conferences

Go green with Brockholes

Our award-winning Visitor Village and conference facilities are specifically designed with an emphasis on sustainability and environmental performance, making Brockholes the ideal venue choice for any business looking to go green.

If your business is dedicated to reducing your impact on the environment and would like to host your next event at a sustainable venue in Lancashire, request our information pack now.

A pair of kingfishers perched on a tree branch together

Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography

Our commitment

Brockholes Environmental Statement

As Lancashire’s leading local wildlife charity, we are committed to minimising the impact of our activities on the environment. We source products for our shops and restaurant from regional producers wherever possible, and we source products and services from suppliers who share and demonstrate our environmental objectives.

Our ultimate mission is to preserve and enhance the biodiversity and natural heritage of the nature reserve, and the profits from every conference booking are fed straight back into our vital conservation work.

A view of the interior of Meadow Lake Suite looking out a window onto the lake.

Ioana Marinescu

Building Design

The design brief was to construct a sustainable building in the middle of a flood plain. To meet these requirements the Visitor Village is built on a 2,400 square metre concrete pontoon that floats on the lake and incorporates the highest environmental standards.

Heating, lighting, temperature and CO2 levels are all monitored by building detectors linked to a sophisticated computer management system.

Brockholes

Energy Use

Heating is provided by a high efficiency, low emission biomass boiler burning locally-sourced wood fuel. 

Our buildings are extremely well insulated to keep them warm in winter and cool in summer. Natural ventilation also helps to maintain the building temperatures.

All electric lighting is highly efficient, with controls that automatically dim and/or turn off the lights when there is enough daylight available or the spaces are unoccupied. We continually monitor our energy consumption and set targets for improvement.

Water

Water Use

Drinking water comes from a 60m borehole after passing through a filtration plant. Water consumption is minimised by using low-use fittings such as low volume taps and low flush toilets. Toilet flushing is provided by rain water harvested from the lake.

Waste water from the toilets and the kitchen is pumped to a septic tank, from where it is discharged to a reed bed treatment area.  The reed bed was built by volunteers and as well as treating our waste water it provides a great home for wildlife.

Award

Adobe

Awards

Our Visitor Village and conference buildings have been awarded several accolades for sustainability including the prestigious architectural accreditation; BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ for the interim design stage.

We have also been awarded a Green Tourism Gold Award, following a site inspection which concluded that Brockholes was an extremely sustainable destination.