The Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s Deputy Chief Executive, Heather Parry, and architect Eamon Shutt of P+HS inspect the sheep’s wool insulation with the help of a raw material supplier!

A traditional material used in an innovative way has been chosen to bring the completion of the new Regional Agricultural Centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate a step closer.

 The £5.1m project has been designed to produce a sustainable building which blends into its rural surroundings through a range of environmentally-friendly features.

The shell is now in place and this week has seen the installation of insulation made from British wool which will help prevent heat loss from the building, making it cost effective to run and reducing its carbon footprint.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s Deputy Chief Executive, Heather Parry, said: “We’re obviously used to seeing sheep at the Showground and they are a very important part of Yorkshire’s regional economy so it seems particularly fitting that the building should feature fleeces used in such an innovative way.  If more projects adopt this method of insulating buildings we hope we can increase the value of fleeces to help support our sheep farmers.”

With one fleece providing one square metre of insulation, a total of 1,500 fleeces have been needed for the project. A visual panel will be created within the building so that visitors can see the insulation for themselves.

The new Regional Agricultural Centre will include “Fodder”, a café and regional food shop, as well as offices for Yorkshire Agricultural Society staff and other rural not-for-profit organisations. Other sustainable features include a ground heat recovery system, timber frame, solar thermal panels and rainwater harvesting. Dry stone walling and a sedum roof will help the building blend into its surroundings and emphasise its strong links to agriculture.

The Centre has been designed by architects P+HS of Leeds and Stokesley and is being built by Harrogate construction firm Houseman and Falshaw. The project is backed by Yorkshire Forward and completion is due in time for the annual Great Yorkshire Show, organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, which runs from Tuesday 14 – Thursday 16 July.