HABITAT recovery schemes and heat pumps are among the latest green projects to receive funding across the district.
Stratford District Council introduced The Community Climate and Nature Fund in November 2023 and it has since enabled the funding of a multitude of climate and biodiversity initiatives.
Funded projects include the installation of solar panels and air source heat pumps, to pond restoration and flood prevention projects.
Round three of the CCNF opened in May, and £150,000 has been made available to successful applicants. The first of four assessment periods ended on July 30, and a total of eight applications were approved.
This included £750 to Alcester Town Council to deliver low-cost, nature-based interventions to support habitat recovery along the River Arrow, £3,900 to Ilmington Parish Council to deliver a pond restoration project, £8,000 to Compton Verney House Charity to install a large air source heat pump at Compton Verney’s Learning Centre, £2,400 to Pillerton Priors Village Hall to install a battery storage system to complement their existing solar panels, £1,234 to Bearley Parish Council to finish the upgrade of their village streetlighting to LED, £4,715 to Tysoe Village Hall to install a battery storage system to complement their existing solar panels, £10,000 to Alcester Town Council to fund a number of biodiversity related initiatives, including the rewilding of community green spaces, the enhancement of hedgehog habitats, and community engagement events, and £7,600 to Bidford Parish Council to enable the continued provision of the Bidford Community Fridge and Cafe.
Round three will be open until April 2026, and applications will be assessed on a quarterly basis.
SDC leader Coun Susan Juned said: “We are immensely pleased with the results of the fund. It is great to see communities making use of this and bringing projects to life that help their local area and the environment. I hope that all these initiatives will inspire other communities and lead to real changes in tackling climate change and nature depletion.”
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