Keighley & Worth Valley Light Railway Limited 

Environmental Policy 

1. Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society Limited (“the Society”) and the  Keighley & Worth Valley Light Railway Limited (“the Company”) recognise their responsibilities to the environment and both their legal and moral responsibilities to the local and wider community. 
2. The Society has appointed the Company Chairman, N Bennett, to constantly review and maintain the Company’s Environmental Policy and performance. 
3. The Company will work with external bodies, including Bradford MDC (the Local Authority),  the Environment Agency, and others, to manage the Company’s environmental impact. 
4. The Company has identified the following environmental objectives: 
5. To enhance the local built environment of the railway by maintaining and improving built structures, including Railway infrastructure, boundaries, including dry stone walls and other structures within the Company’s control. 
6. To enhance the local natural environment by promoting excellence in nature conservation and habitat management were compatible with railway safety and sight lines. Also, to enhance station gardens and the protection of wildlife. Further,  to encourage the railway to be both a wildlife corridor and a stepping stone. 
7. To take all possible actions to avoid ground and water pollution in compliance with the relevant legislation. However, it is recognised that the nature of the heritage vehicles results in some lubricating oil loss and is unavoidable but is confined to the railway track. 
8. To minimise unnecessary noise from its activities while recognising that certain noise type is a safety necessity and a heritage characteristic. 
9. To minimise unnecessary smoke from its activities while recognising that it is a  heritage characteristic. To extend the number of diesel locomotives and diesel-powered rail vehicles fitted with cooling system pre-heaters to reduce their smoke emissions. 
10. To reuse surplus materials and use recyclable materials as reasonably practicable. 
11. To minimise waste from all sources that go to landfills, segregate recyclable waste wherever practicable to aid recycling. 
12. To assess the feasibility of ending the discharge of toilet waste directly onto the railway track and to maintain the necessary licences, permits and exemptions needed for the operation and maintenance of the Railway, including disposal of scrap and waste. 
13. To positively demonstrate the commitment to Government targets on achieving Net  Zero by 2050 and to climate disclosures by publishing K&WVR fuel consumption figures. 
14. It is recognised that carbon-containing exhaust emissions from operating historic steam and diesel locomotives and traditional open coal fires can never be eliminated. The Company will seek opportunities to reduce these and offset emissions, in any small part, by planting trees or other actions on Railway-owned land where practical. 
15. Further, to reduce avoidable reliance on fossil fuels by using electrical energy wherever practicable within cost limitations, heritage features and related activities across the K&WVR sites. 
16. To actively encourage visitors to arrive by the electrified mainline connection at Keighley, reducing car journeys to and from the Railway. 
17. The Company will set specific environmental actions and targets with defined timescales to ensure the objectives summarised above are progressively met and continual improvement is achieved. These will be published and progress reported at the Society Annual General  Meeting. 
18. The Company’s Chairman and Board of Directors are prime responsible for environmental management. The Company regards itself as bound by any acts or omissions of the Chairman, any Director and any Society Officer, giving rise to liability, providing only that such acts and/or omissions arising out of or during Company or Society business. The prosecution of any Director or Society Officer shall not prevent a further prosecution against the Company. 
19. This Policy has been prepared per the Environmental Protection Act 1990. It binds all Directors, Company and Society Officers, employees, and volunteers (voluntary workers), in the interests of employees, volunteers and visitors. We request that visitors undertaking work on the Company’s premises respect this Policy, a copy of which can be obtained on demand. The Company will develop this Policy further by the Environment Act 2021.

13.02.22

M.Stroh (Chairman, Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society Ltd.)
N.Bennett (Chairman, Keighley & Worth Valley Light Railway Ltd)