Villagers press on in quest to reduce their carbon footprint

Harbury Energy Initiative, which was set up by resident Bob Sherman to reduce the carbon footprint of the village, beat off competition from 1,000 groups to make it into the final 100 of the Energshare launch fund, in which the winner was given £100,000 to spend on renewable energy projects that benefit their community.

The group was not selected as winner, but its campaign helped members put together a strong proposal, which is now being used to pitch a bid for £128,000 of the Government’s Local Energy Assessment Fund (LEAF).

Mr Sherman said: “We are always hopeful and we are very determined to make a difference in the village – and on a wider scale if we can influence other people.

“We may only get part of the amount we have asked for, but we thought, let’s be ambitious.”

LEAF does not allow bids for any projects that will attract feed-in tariff and renewable heat incentive payments. The idea is to encourage using less energy through efficient insulation and heat and lighting that demands less fuel.

If successful, the Harbury group will buy a new energy efficient boiler for All Saints’ church in the village, cavity insulation for the Wight School and library building and cavity walls at Harbury rugby club.

Mr Sherman said: “These are all examples of things people can do in their own homes and we are hoping to encourage this action.

“We will also install LED street lighting in 75 streets and at the church and school. Our aim is to reduce energy use rather than bring in new energy solutions.”

One of the conditions of the bid is that the money must be spent by the end of March.

Mr Sherman said: “It’s a tight deadline, so we will have to be very organised.

“If we are successful, this funding could be in many ways more valuable than the Energyshare funding would have been.

“If we are not, we will try something else. We will keep going.”

LEAF is part of the Government’s Green Deal, which will allow people to have carbon reduction improvements made at their homes without any initial investment on their part. To find out more, visit www.greencommunitiescc.org.uk