Mesh Supports Forestry England’s Drive to Net Zero at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum
Energy performance specialist Mesh has successfully delivered a sustainability project for Forestry England at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, helping to improve the energy efficiency and long-term resilience of buildings on the 600-acre estate.
The historic arboretum near Tetbury, managed by Forestry England, is one of the UK’s most visited heritage sites, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
Rapid growth in visitor numbers, combined with the impact of climate change, prompted the need for a clear, practical plan to reduce energy use and carbon emissions across the estate’s facilities including the visitor centre, café and restaurant and offices.
Following a competitive tender, Mesh was appointed to develop an evidence-based strategy to guide building upgrades, balancing sustainability ambitions and the transition away from fossil fuels in this sensitive rural and heritage setting.
Mesh took a whole-building approach, assessing how the buildings on the estate currently perform, how they are used at different times of the year in line with fluctuating seasonal visitor patterns, and how future changes to climatic conditions could affect running costs and user comfort.
This has enabled Forestry England to make informed decisions on heating solutions, energy supply and building fabric improvements, and to plan upgrades in a phased approach. It provides a clear framework for improving energy efficiency, and importantly, for moving away from fossil fuels.
Several of the strategies have already been implemented, delivering immediate energy efficiency improvements whilst informing longer-term refurbishment and upgrading plans.
Sophie Nash, Programme Manager at Forestry England:
“Our aim with this project was to use detailed analysis to steer our specifications for remediation and upgrading works to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of our most heavily-used buildings at Westonbirt and the resilience of our electricity infrastructure to support future growth.
The assessments carried out which were very thorough and detailed, provide us with valuable insight to inform the design and specification of refurbishment and remediation works in a phased approach.”
Doug Johnson, Founder and Director of Mesh, said:
“For rural estates, landowners, parks and visitor attractions across the UK, this project for Forestry England clearly demonstrates how a data-led, whole-building approach can accelerate decarbonisation and create a clear route towards net zero – even in the most sensitive heritage environments and landscapes.”
The Westonbirt project reflects growing demand from rural estates, landowners and visitor attractions for clear sustainability strategies that reduce risk, improve performance and support long-term resilience.
