South: Vail Williams joins 70 leaders to launch Green Halo Partnership

Property adviser Vail Williams has teamed up with over 70 business and community leaders to launch the Green Halo Partnership.

The partnership, which brings together organisations from across central southern England to protect and enhance our ‘natural capital’, pledges to ensure our most precious landscapes work in harmony with the economy.

Property advisers, architects, wildlife charities, councils, utility businesses, health bodies, universities and civil engineering firms were among around 70 organisations that signed  up to the partnership at the launch at Ordnance Survey, Southampton.

The partners identified a range of actions and projects which will help maintain and enhance our natural resources, and so protect the unique character and identity of the New Forest and surrounding area.

New Forest National Park Authority chief executive Alison Barnes said: “Companies and organisations attending the launch have shown that working with the environment in mind has benefits now and in the future.

“For example, water-saving measures are not only good for our environment but for a company’s bottom line; designing eco buildings is not necessarily more expensive and results in energy savings and less use of natural resources; creating communities with green space is good for wildlife but also for our health and wellbeing. These organisations today have shown their commitment to creating a world class environment and world class economy here in the south.”

Ben Christian, senior planner at Vail Williams, commented: “We’re delighted to be a member of the Green Halo Partnership, which represents a perfect fit with our ‘Growing Green’ environmental policy.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to bring our property consultancy expertise into the partnership, particularly from a private-sector perspective. We look forward to inputting our commercial knowledge to help guide the Partnership and support it in its aims to promote environmental sustainability, whilst driving business growth.”

The Partnership launch also included workshops around four themes with ideas put forward to:

• Support the local economy
• Improve health and wellbeing
• Encourage sustainable living
• Enhance the natural environment.

Dr Mike Short, CBE, chairman of Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: "Developing and sustaining a low carbon economy is a priority item on the LEP’s strategic agenda and we are proud to have supported investments of £13.45 million in the low carbon economy and sustainable places to advance this priority. We are delighted to be supporting the Green Halo Partnership in order to enhance the value of our natural assets, drive sustainable business growth and improve the quality of life in our area."