"ON the whole I am quite pleased with the report," said Sue Adeney.

"As a family we seem to be doing relatively well."

Mrs Adeney, who is councillor with Malvern Hills District Council, was referring to a study into how the activities of her family impact upon

the environment.

The family, which includes Sue's husband Chris and their children Charlotte, aged 14, and 12-year-old John, allowed their lives, from their energy consumption to the amount they travel and spend on food, to be measured by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The WWF published a report, called Eco-Budget West Midlands - Counting Consumption Footprint, that examined the way resources are used as well as the waste produced by local authorities.

It found that the annual

footprint produced by the average Malvern resident is 5.8 hectares.

The average for the West Midlands is 5.36 hectares while for Worcester it is approximately 5.41 hectares.

The Ecological Footprint produced by the average member of the Adeney family measured 5.44 hectares, which is less than the Malvern average but slightly above the UK average of 5.4 hectares.

The family live in a detached five-bedroom listed property that dates back to 1820 in Hanley Castle, near Upton-upon-Severn.

One reason that the Malvern area fares worse than others for environmental impact is that the properties tend to

be older and larger, which means they cost more to run and heat.

The environmental assessment involved the family first completing a three-page questionnaire covering things like income, type of house, monthly bills, travel, energy, consumables and services used.

It found that they spend a lot on services, particularly education as both children attend private schools. Though how a private school has a greater impact on the environment than a state school was not clear to the family.

Food is slightly lower due to below average meat consumption. The family buys locally grown produce, which is more environmentally friendly that buying food that has been flown in from other parts of the world.

The report recommends that the family use solar water heating with panels on the roof, and buying durable items that come from renewable sources.

Mrs Adeney said: "We can't convert to using gas as there are no mains in this area.

"We couldn't have solar panels on the roof as we have a listed building.

"We can sort out the building itself. We have insulation in the roof but it probably needs more.

"The message that comes clear to me is that we should view this report positively and not negatively."

She said the family was a relatively green family anyway. "I like to think that we do as much as we can to reduce our impact on the environment.

"Each week I put out about a half-filled black bag of rubbish. I recycle absolutely everything and also compost kitchen waste."

Last month the Worcester News revealed that another study showed that households in the Malverns were the worst in the West Midlands for the amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced while Worcester households produced the least in the whole region.

Tracey Fletcher, WWF Midlands Regional Develop-ment Officer, said: "Indiv-idual action can have a very positive effect on the size of our Ecological Footprint.

To achieve this quality of life you don't have to have a reduced quality of life in order to achieve a greater level of sustainability.

"There are a number of very practical steps that each of us can take.

"For example, choosing one long-haul flight less per year could reduce your footprint by 24 per cent.

"Eating more fruit and vegetables and less meat could further reduce it by 40 per cent and composting and recycling all waste that can be recycled, can reduce your waste footprint by 40 per cent.