Mayor’s Climate Change Fund still has grants available for Bedford buildings

The Mayor’s Climate Change Fund still has grants available to help reduce carbon emissions and running costs of community buildings across Bedford borough, a meeting heard.

Bedford Borough Council’s Climate Change Committee (February 5) heard voluntary and community groups, not for profits, public sector (including schools and parish councils), registered charities and social enterprises can apply for a grant.

Claire Wilkinson, energy and water technical officer, said: “The Mayor’s Climate Change Fund has been going for quite a few years now.

“We’ve funded quite a lot of projects, and generally the aim of the fund is to provide 50 per cent match funding to organisations across Bedford borough to help facilitate energy efficiency improvements in their buildings.

“£20,000 is the maximum grant that we will fund up to.

“We also fund the Energy Performance Certificates (an energy assessment for buildings) if they don’t already have one.

“And 50 per cent match funding for any planning advice that building might need,” she said.

“It’s open to voluntary and community groups, we’ve had quite a few schools and quite a few churches that have applied to the fund,” she added.

Ms Wilkinson said the fund has granted over £473,000 and has saved over “100 tons of CO2 across Bedford”.

“The fund is still open [and] we’ve still got quite a bit of money to spend,” she said.

The council’s website says any building improvements that reduce carbon emissions will be considered.

More information can be found on the website.