Elm Park Library wins gold at the Environmental Green Apple Awards

Elm Park Library, one of Havering's greenest buildings, scooped the gold award in the Community Use category at Monday's (June 14) Green Apple Awards at the Tower of London.

The annual awards, run by the Green Organisation, recognise environmental best practice around the world.

They are judged by representatives from the Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM), the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), the Environment Agency and other environmental professionals.

Judges looked for projects which improve environmental performance, encourage efficient use of resources and support wider goals of sustainable development through community and staff engagement when choosing award winners.

The award means that the Library will be put forward to represent the UK at the European Business Awards for the Environment in Brussels next year.

Elm Park Library opened in June 2009. One of its key features is solar panels which generate more that 95 per cent of the electricity it uses. It also has a 'living' roof, with Sedum imbedded into a soil base, which will improve insulation and all materials from the timber frame were from sustainable sources.

Havering also picked up two further Green Apple Awards. The Council's Rainham Village Shopfront Award Scheme, a project to preserve Rainham's history and heritage by restoring shopfronts won silver in the Local Authorities category.

The recently opened Havering Museum also got off to a great start by receiving an award in its first month of being fully open. It was awarded the silver in the Architectural Heritage category.

Councillor Andrew Curtin, Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities, with special responsibility for Culture, said: "Environmental sustainability and conservation of the historical environment of Havering are absolutely at the heart of our priorities.

"I was particularly pleased with the award for Elm Park Library as libraries are one of the most popular services which we offer and Elm Park Library is valued by everyone in the community. It is even better that this award comes just after the area celebrated its 75th anniversary."

Each winner received a trophy and certificate from presenter, actress Carol Royle.

The awards are now in their sixteenth year and attracted more than 500 nominations this year.

ENDS

Contact Claire Still, Havering Council press office, 01708 432 005.

Notes to editors: Elm Park Library also won an award in the 2008 Havering Business Awards for Sustainable Construction and was the first building in the borough to be officially accorded low carbon status.