Member Article

Luxury hot tub getaway bolsters eco creds with new decking

Bowland Retreat Lodges, a luxury holiday retreat in Clitheroe, Lancashire has invested in sustainable composite decking to boost its eco credentials and enhance its green reputation.

Research has shown that nearly 1 in 3 consumers are making purchases based on the ethical and sustainability values of products and brands¹. As a result, Bowland Retreat Lodges, which opened its doors in summer 2021, has installed HD Deck Dual, created by the UK’s leading sustainable decking brand, Composite Prime.

The retreat comprises eight self-catered luxury lodges, accompanied by jacuzzi hot tubs, and is on the edge of The Forest of Bowland, which is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Andrew Cockburn co-owner of Bowland Retreat Lodges said: “Consumers are searching for greener options when making buying decisions, particularly following CoP26 last year. Our lodges are situated in the heart of the Ribble Valley which is an outstanding area filled with lots of natural beauty. It was therefore crucial for our lodges to sit in harmony with their natural surroundings and for us to choose sustainable materials which would provide an attractive look and feel to the project, as well as protect the environment.

“We are a luxury venue and so aesthetics were key for us, we felt composite provides a sleeker and more contemporary style than timber. We looked at many composite decking brands, but Composite Prime products were superior, offering both a natural appearance with two tone colour options as well giving the hardwearing finish we needed.”

Composite Prime manufactures environmentally friendly decking and cladding solutions for commercial and residential settings. By combining FSC 100% certified end of life hardwood timber and recycled HDPE plastics, Composite Prime’s products retain the natural look and feel of timber with the added strength and durability of plastic.

The company is dedicated to producing sustainable materials. Each square metre of composite decking contains the equivalent of more than 3,000 plastic bottle caps or 280 plastic bottles. In the seven years of operation the brand has saved the equivalent of 176 million plastic milk bottles from landfill and over 1.8 billion bottle top caps.

Charles Taylor, director at Composite Prime, said: “We’re delighted that such a stunning venue has chosen Composite Prime decking to enhance its outdoor space. Composite decking is a safe and sustainable alternative for outdoor spaces that is simple to install and more hardwearing than timber. It also includes slip resistant qualities, making it the perfect solution for Bowland Retreat Lodges and its accompanying hot tubs.

“One problem that timber decking presents for public spaces is that it is constantly requiring maintenance and upkeep. Spilt drinks and even smashed glass can cause costly damage. It can be a challenge for holiday retreats to regularly fix marks, stains and chips in timber decking and that’s why so many are making the move to composite, which is less likely to warp, split or rot.”

Composite Prime manufactures a range of nine products, including cladding, decking and flooring, which are tested against the latest requirements to measure strength, impact resistance, weathering, extreme temperature cycles, UV resistance and water absorption.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lucky North .