Cormac celebrates major wins at the 2025 CIRIA Biodiversity Challenge Awards

The Biodiversity Challenge Awards encourage the construction industry to 'go BIG for nature' by putting biodiversity at the centre of projects, delivering beyond normal business practice and compliance with applicable legislation, such as Biodiversity Net Gain. This year's event saw Cormac's Environment Service team shine, with not one, but two accolades.  

The 'Urban Green Shoots' initiative, developed collaboratively by Cormac and Cornwall Council, won the national 'Nature Recovery' award, sponsored by National Highways. Significant progress has been made in enhancing urban green spaces across Cornwall, with funding from the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF). In just eighteen months, the project successfully improved 12 urban sites totalling 27.2 hectares in key towns such as Camborne, Hayle, Liskeard, Newlyn, Newquay, Penzance, Redruth, Saltash, and Torpoint. These schemes encompassed parks, road verges, cemeteries, playing fields, woodlands, and coastal headlands, benefiting from strong community engagement and support throughout the project. The spaces promote wellbeing and unity, enabling residents to connect with nature and experience its benefits.

The judges applauded Cormac's efforts, stating: "This project has done a fantastic job at transforming underutilised grassland into a biodiversity-rich, accessible space, providing connection to nature for surrounding communities with limited local access".

Melissa Ralph, Making Space for Nature Manager at Cormac said, “We are thrilled to receive national recognition for Cormac’s excellent work. We have been very pleased to work with local communities, to carefully listen to their ideas and work together to improve and manage green spaces in several towns – now buzzing with colour, activity and wildlife.”

In addition, Kelly Strange, Cormac's Urban Ranger for East Cornwall, received a Highly Commended as 'Biodiversity Champion – Early Career Professional'. The judging panel praised Kelly's dedication to volunteering and her initiatives to inspire young generations to connect with the outdoors and foster a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship.

With over 70 submissions across 10 categories and fierce competition in each, these awards reflect Cormac's dedication to nature recovery, through innovative methods to enhance biodiversity.

Dominic Bostock, Cormac’s Managing Director, commented, "The collaborative efforts of our Council colleagues in securing funding and facilitating project delivery have been invaluable. Since the establishment of the Green Infrastructure for Growth programme in 2017, we have been pioneering initiatives that not only restore nature but also strengthen our communities' sense of place."

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, Exeter Innovation has completed an external evaluation to monitor and record the successes and learning outcomes of the Urban Green Shoots project. This is helping us refine our strategies and further enhance our biodiversity efforts in the future.

We extend a heartfelt thank you to all the fantastic volunteers and everyone involved in the Urban Green Shoots project, whose dedicated efforts and support have made these achievements possible.

As Cormac continues its journey to foster greater biodiversity across Cornwall, the company remains committed to empowering local communities, enhancing natural spaces, and setting an example in environmental conservation.

(Image: From left to right, Trevor Jones, Cormac Area Manager - Landscapes, Melissa Ralph, Cormac Making Space for Nature Manager, Kelly Strange, Cormac Urban Ranger, and Zoe Hilditch, Cormac Environmental Sustainability Manager).

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