Environmental Policy

Here at Height Top Farm, we are committed to providing a good quality service whilst minimising the environmental impact or our activities. A symbol of this commitment is our membership of the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

The scheme provides accreditation and encouragement for tourism businesses to reduce the environmental impact of their activities.

By encouraging sustainable practices the scheme ensures the continued enjoyment of the environment around us for future generations.

Some of the main steps we have taken to reduce our impact are:-

Making sure existing hedgerows are managed to encourage nesting birds, small animals and wild flowers.
We have bird and bat boxes on buildings around the farm.
We encourage our visitors to tell us about any wildlife sighting they have so we can record it on our blog.
Our blog along with blogs from other GTBS members, forms part of www.lancashirewildlife.org.uk wildlife news website.
We have a high efficiency boiler.
We have excellent insulation and double glazed units throughout the cottages.
We recycle glass, plastic, tin and paper and vegetable waste is composted in our own garden.
We refill our ink cartridges.
We use environmentally friendly cleaning products
We encourage sustainable tourism by providing information on walking and cycling both in Pendle and the Forest of Bowland, and actively promote the monthly walks
We promote the use of local produce and supplies
Home grown Fruit and Veg. When produce is available guests are free to make use of fruit and vegetables grown in our garden.
Developing local walks with a fellow GTBS member
We farm Dexter cattle a rare breed
We produce traditional hay bales allowing us to use smaller machinery with less detrimental impact on the land

Future plans 2011 - 2012

Continue to maintain and plant hedgerows and include wild flowers where possible.
To source logs from our own windfall trees and from our neighbours windfall trees.
To make in advance, ie; all through summer the pressed newspaper logs/briquettes so that we have a better stock.
To start the new orchard, fruit trees and bushes and make a larger vegetable garden for both us and our guests.
To continue and develop my exchange deals with friends such as home grown vegetables for fruit and eggs or whatever we may need.
To continue with the development of our walks from the door and the looped walks with Cobden Farm another GTBS member.
To keep on making bird and bat boxes for ourselves and to give to guests as an incentive to fill in the green feedback form.
To keep on planting the wild meadow flower seeds and hope that we have a bit more success as we keep on trying.

Finally as new members we are likely to make a few mistakes, we value the opinion and suggestions of our guests. You can tell us directly or use the feedback form provided. Thank you.

We have been featured as a Lancashire Green Tourism Project Case Study Click Here to view (PDF)

Green Tourism Business Scheme

Forest of Bowland Sustainable Tourism Business Network

Bowland Experience Supporting Forest of Bowland Tourism Businesses