Councillors approve £20,000 grant for energy firm's Solar Meadow Project

SENIOR councillors have authorised a £20,000 grant to allow work on a proposed £1.9million East Lancashire 'green energy' project to proceed.

- BY BILL JACOBS Local Democracy Reporting Service

Hyndburn's Cabinet has approved the payment to Prospects Community Energy Limited (“PCE”) to support the Solar Meadow Project at Coach Road in Oswaldtwistle, a community renewable energy project to help achieve net zero in the borough.

It supplements a previous £25,000 grant from the authority's Net Zero Working Group.

A report to the cabinet meeting last week by Cllr Ethan Rawcliffe, Hyndburn Council's People and Communities boss, said: "PCE intend that the Solar Meadow Project will generate up to two megawatts of electricity, equivalent to the needs of about 550 houses, and will help to reduce carbon emissions by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy.