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Environmental Policy

Oakdown Holiday Park is committed to leading the way to achieve high standards of socially and environmentally sustainable business practices.

At Oakdown we are constantly looking for ideas to improve our methodology in keeping with “the green way”. We are dedicated to raising awareness of environmental issues with our staff, caravan owners and visitors to the park.

We very much want to provide our customers with a holiday of high quality whilst supporting our local community and preserving our beautiful surroundings for the prosperity and enjoyment of future generations.

What we do

Oakdown has for many years been committed to best practices and standards that are considered to help in the protection of our Environment and the Earth’s resources.
We pro-actively participate in good Environmental practices to include:-.

  • Use low energy bulbs
  • Have LED bulbs (all new installations)
  • Where possible use of outside lights on timers or sensors
  • Use 2 large solar panel installations for power
  • Never leave TVs or other equipment on standby
  • Use Eco friendly linen in our Leisure Lodges
  • Use of thermostatically controlled heating
  • Use hand dryers chosen for their low energy usage and efficiency
  • Service boilers and defrost refrigerators
  • Light sensors installed in the Amenity buildings (10% low level light savers for safety when not in use)
  • Provide signage to remind guests to turn taps off and report any water leaks
  • Use of water by guests is controlled through a variety of initiatives for example, small shower heads, dual flush in toilet cisterns and air assisted self-closing shower valves, Hot Water is Heated through eco instantaneous Boilers (no stored water). Grey water passed through the parks waste pipe system to the unique “Oakdown Victorian Reed Bed” for disposal and filtration.
  • Check water taps and pipes as part of the work day schedule
  • Rain Water is collected via large Tanks for watering flower beds around the Park.

Landscape and Environment

Oakdown is a peaceful haven set in an area of outstanding natural beauty. As you may have guessed by our name TREES ARE OUR THING! we boast a wealth of varieties. There is an abundance of flora, fauna and wildlife on our doorstep and we do everything we can to respect, maintain and improve this beautiful environment.

  • We work hard to protect native species and nurture our trees and flowers. We have an environmental planting plan for the park which prolongs the life span of existing plants and trees, encourages the growth of new species and ensures that trees that are damaged or dying are replaced.
  • We provide bird boxes, feeding tables and small hand built homes for insects.
  • Our tree prunings are chipped and used as mulch around the Park, this also discourages weed growth and minimises the use of chemicals for weed control.
  • Grass cuttings are recycled and used over the Park owner’s farmland.

At Oakdown there is a lovely dog walking area which leads to the nearby Donkey Sanctuary. Litter bins, dog bins and biodegradable dog bags are provided for all dog owners to use and help keep the park and surrounding areas beautiful and litter free.

To encourage guests to take an interest in the natural environment in and around Oakdown we have produced small plaques which provide diagrams and names of the naturally growing fauna along our dog walk. We have also provided some rubbing plaques for our younger guests to use, that illustrates and familiarises them with our local wildlife.

We are proud to have been awarded the David Bellamy conservation award and have received some lovely comments from David Bellamy over the years.

Waste

Waste management is closely monitored at Oakdown and we regularly review the ways that we can minimise waste by evaluating our practices and ensure that they are fit for purpose.

  • We have two recycling areas on site for glass, paper, plastic and cans.
  • In addition to recycling posters dotted around the park, customers staying in our leisure lodges will find a recycling note in the welcome pack to try and encourage them to recycle to reduce the amount of waste produced.
  • Staff re-use paper sheets for internal messages instead of rubbishing them.
  • Cleaning bottles of detergents are refilled instead of buying new ones (no aerosols).
  • Wherever possible environmentally friendly products are used.
  • When we clean our holiday homes, we keep the almost empty toilet rolls and use them in the staff toilets instead of rubbishing them.
  • There is an exchange book shelf in our amenities block, so people can swap their books for free instead of throwing them away or buying new ones. This reduces the amount of book and paper produced.
  • The waste management company we use to remove all waste is committed to sustainability and bio-diversity (www.viridor.co.uk/sustainability)

Transport

Oakdown is situated on the main bus route which provides links to Exeter , Dorset and beyond. The Jurassic Coast bus passes by hourly throughout the summer months and we also help fund the Sidmouth Hopper bus which regularly transports our guests back and for to Sidmouth free of charge. We actively promote walking, cycling and public transport to reduce the impact of transport operations on the environment.

  • Seasonal Pitches to reduce transport emissions
  • Go Local
  • Whenever possible we use local suppliers and stock a wide range of local produce in the shop.

What you can do

We ask all our guests to try and help our environment, below are just some websites that could be of interest:-