Suffolk’s “green Oscars” attracted 90 nominations this year and competition was close.

The “Oscars” are awarded by the Suffolk – Creating the Greenest County project and were handed over at a gala evening at Wantisden Valley, near Woodbridge, attended by nearly 200 people. Sixty of them watched a pre-dinner performance of a climate change play called Turning the Tide, a collaboration between the Open Space Theatre Company and Woodbridge playwright, Peppy Barlow.

Winning Schools

Greenest school was judged to be Kesgrave High School. Runner-up was Highfield Nursery School, Ipswich.

Birchwood Primary at Ipswich won the category for most environmentally- friendly strategy for school buildings, energy and water with St Edmunds Primary at Hoxne being runner-up.

In the travel and traffic category the winner was All Saints at Newmarket. Runner-up was Chelmondiston Primary. Nacton Primary was judged best in the category for food and drink, ahead of the other shortlisted school, Coldfair Green Primary at Knodishall. Foxborough Middle School, Lowestoft won the award for waste, recycling and purchasing policy with the runner-up judged to be Castle Hill Infants in Ipswich.

Business

Greenest building was judged to be the Mill Green Brewery at Edwardstone. Suffolk Wildlife Trust was runner-up.

Port of Felixstowe won the “green transport” plaudit ahead of BT Adastral Park. In the “waste” category the winner was CPW Computing of Needham Market. Runner-up was Port of Felixstowe. Earth and Reed of Needham Market came top in the greenest product category. Runner-up was Groundwork East of England. The award for greenest small business went to the Mill Green Brewery, which beat off competition from Gotelee and Goldsmith solicitors.

Greenest pub, club or hotel was the White Horse, Edwardstone. Runner-up was Benson Blakes Bars, Bury St Edmunds. Alsion Plumridge of the Bury st Edmunds Art Gallery was awarded the gong for green business hero. Runner-up was Christopher North of Earth and Reed.

Communities

Building – Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery Trust. Runner-up Bruisyard Village Hall. Transport – Transition Ipswich. Runner-up Wilford Links

Community Energy project – Greener Fram, Runner-up Green Sproughton

Communication – Greener Fram, Runner-up The Rubbish Diet/ Moreton Hall, Bury St Edmunds Landscape and Biodiversity – Suffolk Community Barn Owl Project. Runner-up Debenham Woodland and Waterways. Green Community Heroes – Guy Ackers of the Suffolk Hedgerow Survey and Ros Lavington of Green Sproughton.