Stone quarried in Cumbria is increasingly being sought-after for its environmental and sustainability credentials.
Richard Page, managing director of Burlington Stone in Kirkby-in-Furness, which operates eight quarries across Cumbria, believes that its products are among the most sustainable materials available for building and landscaping.
He made the point forcefully as one of the speakers in an expert panel discussion on localisation and sustainability at FutureScape, the premier event for the UK’s landscaping industry, held recently at London ExCeL.
Richard said afterwards: “Sustainability is at the very core of Burlington. If you look at our roofing slates, they will last for more than 100 years.
“The beautiful diminishing course roof so characteristic of the Lake District, with large slates at the bottom of the roof becoming progressively smaller towards the ridge line, is also an early form of sustainability. It doesn’t just look good, it makes use of every possible piece of slate.
“When we analysed contracts that we had missed out on, we found that – in many cases – customers had sourced secondhand Burlington slates that we quarried 60, 70 or 80 years ago. They were in such good condition they could be re-used. That’s not really a loss, it was quarried by previous generations of Burlington workers, it is genuine sustainability.”
He also pointed out that products manufactured from solid stone have a much smaller carbon footprint than cement or concrete products.
And he outlined the steps Burlington has taken, such as the installation of solar panels and process improvements to reduce waste and energy use, that will reduce its CO2 emissions even further.
He said: “We have a principle within Burlington that we want to use every tonne of stone we extract so there is no waste.”
The discussion, entitled ‘The Benefits of Buying Local’, was hosted by Made in Britain, the not-for-profit organisation that supports British manufacturers.
Richard said: “Buying local means the consumer gets a high-quality, bespoke product and it brings trickle-down benefits to local communities, which you don’t get if you bring in goods from Brazil, India or China.
“We have a high-quality, highly-skilled workforce and we invest heavily in NVQs and vocational training.”
He was speaking alongside fellow panellists Nick Burgess, of Modular Group, and Stuart Dantzic of Caribbean Blinds.
Richard added: “It was great to have a platform like that with an organisation like Made in Britain, who really do champion British-made goods.”
Stone has been quarried at Kirkby-in-Furness for more than 400 years. Burlington Stone, part of Holker Group, has been trading since 1843 and exports its products all over the world.
Along with its sister business, Burlington Aggregates, it forms one of the largest independent construction-material groups in the North West.
For more information, visit the Burlington Stone website.
