Sustainable Policy Statement for Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall

Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Limited (HWHL) is committed to taking a sustainable approach to the delivery of the Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall event.  HWHL will ensure that all reasonable efforts are taken by itself and its suppliers to minimise the environmental impacts of the event, to engage the local community in the planning and delivery of the event and to generate an excellent return on the resources invested.

 Event Realisation

This is no ordinary event – it is being held across an 84 mile stretch of the Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail in addition to sites at Newcastle and Carlisle. The event will be designed in such a way as to minimise any environmental impact on the World Heritage Site. 

 Attendees will be directed to stewarded areas which are designed to accommodate public gatherings, and members of the public will be strongly advised against entering on to the National Trail during the event.

 The precise location of each light source  takes account of woodland, hedgerows, properties and any other sensitivities and as closely as practicable follows the line of the National Trail. The structures holding the lights will be 2 metres tall and will not involve ground disturbance. They will be transported to and from each site on foot without causing any damage to the ground which, at that time of the year, may well be soft and incapable of bearing the weight of vehicles.  The lights will be gas powered, and the fuel will be chosen on the basis of health and safety and to minimize the environmental impact.

 The carbon cost of the event will be calculated in advance, once all of the technical details have been finalised, and HWHL will undertake to offset the carbon emissions through a programme of tree planting.

 HWHL takes the issue of light pollution very seriously. Northumberland is in particular is famed for its dark skies, and this is something which should be treasured and protected.  The lights along the Wall will be lit for a maximum period of 75 minutes, and communities along the Corridor will be encouraged to deliver a voluntary blackout in order to help the spectacle stand out more effectively and to offset any negative impacts of the event.

 Transport

 The main public participation events will take place at Segedunum in Newcastle, and Carlisle city centre, both of which are fully accessible by public transport. Public transport information will be clearly communicated in the associated publicity material for the event. 

 Catering

 HWHL will not be providing catering for this event. However partners operating visitor attractions along the length of the wall, and other associated hospitality businesses will be encouraged to provide catering and hospitality for visitors to the event. HWHL will be providing a ‘toolkit’ to such businesses to assist them in delivering excellence and maximising their return from this event. This’ toolkit’ will strongly encourage businesses to utilise local produce which reflects the provenance of the area where possible, and to source fair trade goods as appropriate.   Any on site caterers providing take away refreshments will be required to minimise packaging and ensure that any such packaging is biodegradable where possible.

 Marketing

 The marketing and communications plan for the event is focussed strongly around digital communication in order to minimise excessive paper usage. Where paper based communication is necessary, it will be produced on paper from sustainable sources.

 Social Wellbeing

 A full health and safety risk assessment will be carried out in order to identify any risks to participants or members of the public and action will be taken to mitigate these risks.

 Emergency evacuation arrangements will be clearly communicated at the  public participation events.

 A full and detailed stakeholder engagement plan has been developed to ensure that all the relevant audiences are identified and will receive regular communications to engage them in the event and to advise them about the sustainability measures being undertaken.  

 Event participants will also be made aware of the measures which have been taken to ensure that the event is delivered in a sustainable manner.

 Return on Investment.

 The aim of the event is:-

 To deliver a world class, quality cultural and artistic event, focused on excellent audience experience

 To attract significant numbers of visitors from outwith the North East and North West regions to the event

 To create a marketing and PR event that raises awareness of Hadrian’s Wall Country as a visitor destination both nationally and internationally

 To encourage repeat visitors to the North East and North West regions.

 Further marketing activity will be rolled out to ensure that the legacy of the event is maximised and the economic impact enjoyed throughout the whole of the Hadrian’s Wall Corridor.

 Evaluation

 Full evaluation of the event will be undertaken to assess the success of the measures taken and to provide learning for future events.