Marshalls receive Biodiversity Benchmark award

ACTOR and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust president Brian Blessed has presented Marshalls plc with The Wildlife Trusts’ Biodiversity Benchmark award for the sustained work carried out at their quarrying and manufacturing facility in Maltby, South Yorkshire –– the first manufacturing operation in the country to gain the rigorously audited accreditation.

The award was presented at the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s recent annual gala dinner. Speaking at the event, Brian Blessed said: ‘This is a fantastic achievement; I only hope other companies use Marshalls as an example to follow in improving their local wildlife for the future. We all need heroes like these.’

Amy Underwood, Biodiversity Benchmark manager for the Wildlife Trust, added: ‘Marshalls worked incredibly hard to achieve the Biodiversity Benchmark – a commitment that should be applauded. I hope that the site in Maltby is the first of many manufacturing sites to take the challenge of seeking Biodiversity Benchmark.’

To achieve the award, the Maltby works produced an exacting Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) to ensure proper site management, allowing wildlife value to be improved for the long term. A keen interest in the project has been demonstrated from site staff and has grown to involve the local community and schools, as well as partnerships with Doncaster MBC, Rotherham Chamber of Trade and Doncaster Biodiversity Action Partnership.

Since starting its BAP, Maltby works has created a new conservation area around its old pump lagoon complete with man-made island retreat, spread in excess of 200 tonnes of soil for new planting, placed reeds to form new wetland areas, sited a total of 150 new trees and sown areas with grass and wild flower seeds. Recent surveys at the site have recorded more than 70 species of bird and over 20 different species of butterfly.

Ian Manley, health and safety co-ordinator at Maltby Works, has been pivotal in managing the BAP. He said: ‘We are delighted to have achieved accreditation to The Wildlife Trusts’ Biodiversity Benchmark. While it has been hard work, we feel it has been well worth the effort and have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of flora, fauna and wildlife already within our site boundary. Receiving our certificate from Brian Blessed was the icing on the cake.’

The annual gala dinner took place on a day of double celebration for Marshalls, who earlier the same day received a Gold Award at the 2007 ‘Green Apple Environment Awards’ ceremony, held at the Houses of Parliament, in recognition of the environmental best practice carried out at the Maltby site and the integration of biodiversity into the company’s environmental management system.