Over the past few years, we have been working towards our goal of making the park as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. We have taken on a number of initiatives which reduce the carbon footprint of the park.
Solar Panels
We have installed 98 solar panels which are capable of producing 34kw of power per hour on a nice sunny day. These along with our 23.6kw batteries allow us produce electricity to be used on the park as well as exporting some to our neighbours. Since they were installed in February 2024 we have saved the equivalent of burning 23 tonnes of coal!
Biomass boiler
We have a wood pellet biomass boiler which provides hot water and heating to the reception building, coffee lounge, holiday cottage and the private wet room showers. All of the wood pellets burned come from sustainable sources meaning the heat provided is carbon neutral.
Electric machinery
We have replaced some of the diesel and petrol machinery on the park used for grounds maintenance with fully electric solutions. This includes over 6 acres of the park which is fully maintained using only electric robot mowers. We move all of the caravans with the first Electric Tractor being used in North Yorkshire, as well as our famous fully electric orange tug, which can often be seen tootling around the park.
Countryside Stewardship
Surrounding the holiday park we have over 180 acres of agricultural land which have been entered into the Countryside Stewardship scheme since January 2022. The scheme aims to encourage and support efforts to conserve or restore wildlife habitats, manage flood risk, create and manage woodland, reduce water pollution whilst preserving the character of the countryside. It also makes for some fantastic dog walking areas around the wildflower meadows.
David Bellamy
For a number of years we have received the David Bellamy Gold award for conservation. This champions holiday parks that are working to protect and enhance Britain’s environment and is one of the longest running green tourism awards in the UK. This involves managing the park land as a haven for wildlife, reducing their use of energy, water and other resources and reduce, reuse and recycle the waste they produce. We are currently involved in 2 ‘Pledge for Nature’ campaigns; ‘Home Sweet Home’ whereby we have installed bug hotels around the park (in addition to our Owl Boxes already in situ) and the ‘Pollinator Patch’ campaign in which we are planting a new wildflower area in spring 2025. The new wildflower area will be at the bottom of the park near the play area in amongst the trees. Hopefully it will provide a burst of colour to the park as well as important habitats and pollen source for wildlife.
Waste management
We are committed to recycling waste wherever possible and our waste is collected by a provider who also has an eco-friendly waste management approach. Recyclable waste is transported to a Material Recycling Facility where it can be treated and processed into raw materials for new products. For non-recyclable waste, as much energy as possible recovered through incineration which then helps power the North Yorkshire community.
Landscaping – trees and hedges
Each year, we plant new trees and hedges to keep our hedgerows lush, gap-free, and thriving as habitats for wildlife. Among them are fruit trees, offering a delightful variety of fresh, seasonal fruit for our guests to enjoy.
Eco friendly cleaning products
All of our cleaning products are eco-friendly and specially designed to be compatible with our biological sewage treatment system. They are free from bleach and other harmful chemicals, helping to protect the environment while maintaining a high standard of cleanliness.
Shop
We take pride in supporting local Yorkshire producers, offering everything from honey sourced from a nearby beekeeper, Swales Honey, to delicious jams and biscuits. To promote sustainability, we also encourage our guests to embrace eco-friendly practices by stocking wildflower seeds from Roselyn Seeds, a local business. This allows visitors to take Hillside’s green ethos home with them.