Plans to give communities in South Cambridgeshire grants to spend on ambitious green projects as they shift towards a zero-carbon future have been announced by the District Council.
The aim of the proposed Zero Carbon Communities grant scheme is to provide funds for local groups to spend on activities that reduce carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. The scheme can also be used to by communities to help spread awareness of what is possible and promote change of behaviour to achieve low carbon lifestyles.
Zero Carbon Grant scheme
Cabinet approved just over £90,000 to be put into the scheme for 2019/20. The money comes from business rates from renewable energy sites, such as PV farms, located in South Cambridgeshire that are retained by the Council and earmarked for use in green initiatives.
Non-profit groups or organisations that are based in South Cambridgeshire, or parish councils based within the district, will be able to apply.
Other groups, such as schools, colleges and community interest companies would also be able to apply, as long as they apply as part of a partnership with a parish council or not-for-profit group.
Types of green projects
Later this summer community groups will be invited to bid for grants of between £1,000 and £15,000 each. These funds would be able to be spent on projects such as:
- Energy-saving improvements to community buildings, such as insulation, secondary glazing, energy efficient lighting, battery storage for solar panels or other low carbon energy generation measures
- Community energy projects such as solar panels, community wind turbines and battery storage
- Electric vehicle charging points which the community could use
- Purchase of an electric vehicle for community use
- Community tree planting, to absorb carbon and increase biodiversity
- Community schemes to scale up local circular economy initiatives (food, fashion, waste, travel)
- Cycle paths and stands
- Projects that tackle fuel poverty
- Simple proposals such as cycle racks at bus stops or drinking fountains to encourage the use of reusable water bottles
Encouragement to communities
The Chair of South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Climate and Environment Advisory Committee, Cllr Pippa Heylings (pictured), said:
“We hope these grants will give grass-roots community groups a head-start in tackling the climate emergency that we now face. We know that people are eager to do their bit to be green to the core and the aim of these grants will be to get them started on bigger, ambitious projects that are bottom-up and led-locally-led.”
The Liberal Democrat led administration is taking action to address the environmental challenges we face and we are determined to move fast and do all that we can to play our part locally, having started by pledging and now working towards making South Cambridgeshire zero carbon by 2050.
The authority has also recently installed solar panels on its recycling and waste depot, which are now providing around a quarter of all the electricity the building uses. The council is also conducting trial use of electric vehicles in our recycling and waste service, powered by the electricity generated by the solar panels.
In late 2018, the Council phased-out single use plastics such as plastic bottles, cups, cutlery and straws at its Cambourne offices. It is also encouraging and making it easy for residents to recycle more at home.
So, do take the opportunity when it arrives to move toward a low carbon lifestyle at home and in your community.