National award win for Beyond Nature project

Humberstone Bank Farm and Yorkshire Water have been awarded a national social impact award from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and heralded as a “world class example of how the built environment can have a direct positive social and environmental impact on society”.

Following success at the Yorkshire and Humberside finals in September, Humberstone Bank Farm tenant, Jonathan Grayshon and Yorkshire Water’s ‘Beyond Nature’ approach to sustainable land management took first prize in the Land and Rural category of the Social Impact awards.

In introducing their decision, the judges explained: “The land and rural sector covers a very diverse range of enterprises and this was reflected in the entries we received. However, one project caught the eye of the judges as an exceptional entry.

“At a time of huge change for the rural sector, we felt that Humberstone Bank Farm was a real exemplar as to what could be achieved on many levels. The collaboration between landlord and tenant, with both parties’ objectives aligned, in terms of land management to manage aspects such as flood risk in the environment, is an innovative approach. Engagement with the local community, support to the commercial success of the farm business and a proactive approach to tackling a number of key issues facing land use were all noted. We believe Humberstone Bank thoroughly deserves to be a winner.”

Of the award win, Lisa Harrowsmith, lead surveyor at Yorkshire Water said: ‘We are delighted to win a national award for the social impact of our Beyond Nature approach. As one of the region’s largest landowners, our land strategy is to ‘deliver exceptional land for Yorkshire, forever’ and Beyond Nature plays a key role in that. The RICS award is a recognition that we are heading in the right direction to deliver on our ambition and make a lasting difference for future generations.’

To stay up to date with Yorkshire Water’s land strategy and Beyond Nature scheme, visit https://www.yorkshirewater.com/beyond-nature/