Sustainable Development Fund

The owners of Lower Fairsnape farm in Bleasdale were awarded the title of 2004 northern lapwing champions by the RSPB for their efforts to improve habitats for wader birds on their land. As an extension to this work they approached the SDF to fund the construction of a bird hide overlooking some of the wader scrapes. A small grant of £1965 enabled an RSPB approved hide to be built by the farmer and Wyre countryside service volunteers, and also to provide access for people with disabilities.

Dalehead village was drowned in the 1930’s to enable the creation of Stocks reservoir. The original church was removed and rebuilt at Dalehead, but by 2000 it was in urgent need of repair. This scheme enabled the parochial parish council to renovate the building and re open it as a place of worship which also welcomes and informs visitors to the area. The churchyard is an important site for wildflowers and this, together with the history of the church and its lost community, is interpreted in the building. SDF contributed £10,968 towards the project, which also includes a wind turbine to generate heat and light for the building.

Over Wyresdale is a very large rural parish, centred on the village of Abbeystead. Ambitious plans to build a new parish hall were underway when the committee approached SDF for a grant of £18,387 to part fund the installation of a ground source heat pump and underfloor heating system for the centre. This innovative system collects heat from underground using a system of piped water, and through a heat exchanger this then generates warmth for the new building. Running costs of the new building are expected to be low, as this system, combined with good insulation, is highly efficient.

The RSPB Wader Project in Bowland has been active for several years. The project works with farmers and landowners to improve their land for nesting wader birds and in 2005 the project was awarded a grant of £5000 to fund six important habitat improvement schemes across Bowland.

Bowland Forest Foods is a farmers’ co-operative which markets Bowland reared lamb, beef and pork. A grant of £5000 enabled the group to re visit their legal structure and explore ways of increasing their income and their marketing potential.

This project was led by Lancashire County Council’s countryside service and used a small grant of £1300 to support the costs of local artist Sue Flowers to work with two junior classes from Wray school. The children produced sketches of their local environment and these were then re created as motifs. Some of these were then used for a series of stone carving workshops, and others were developed by the children as clay tiles – both mediums were then used to waymark and publicise a self guided walk around the village.

Barley Village Hall has recently undergone refurbishment work and as part of this scheme the village hall committee looked to reduce their running costs by using renewable energy wherever possible. The SDF grant of £10,700 provided 50% of the costs of purchasing and installing a photovoltaic system on the hall roof. This links with an air source heat pump to heat the two main rooms in the hall. The system is up and running and the committee are hoping to use the project as a demonstration to others in the north west to show how sustainable renewables can be used.

Working closely with the RSPB, this project, led by one of LCC’s countryside officers, sought to safeguard a 150m of public footpath across this developing wetland site. As the RSPB were aiming to raise water levels on the moss, it was important that this footpath was kept open and dry. A grant of £3000 has helped secure its future.

In response to a request for funds from the Lune Habitat Group to fence off stretches of the upper river Wenning, the LCC countryside service commissioned two detailed surveys of a 4.5 km stretch of this river, running from Clapham to Bentham along the north eastern border of the Forest of Bowland AONB. The surveys looked at the landscape and ecological value of the river corridor, and the impact that any fencing may have. This survey has also provided the AONB with the opportunity to test out a new methodology and to establish good practice for future river based projects to follow.

Roughlee Parish Council were awarded a total of £19,000 to improve the riverside environment of this Pendle village. Ugly 1960’s style cement and steel railings were removed from a prominent stretch of the river in the village centre, and replaced with traditional stone wall and railings. A small garden and seating area was also created, incorporating the new village bus stop and a time capsule to commemorate the event.

The small community of Bleasdale serves an isolated corner of Wyre district. A grant of £17500 helped the village hall committee to purchase and instal a wood pellet boiler, and also to insulate the main hall roof to reduce heat loss and further improve energy efficiency.

The committee decided to install a wood pellet boiler after realising that the existing oil fired boiler was both uneconomic and unsustainable. This carbon neutral system (power which does not emit any more carbon than it consumes) was chosen after a number of meetings with CLAREN, the north west’s community renewable advisory project. The committee are very keen to promote the ideals of sustainable development and renewable energy, and hope to educate and involve the wider community with future projects.

This year’s annual Bowland Hedgelaying Competition, part of the Lancashire Grand Prix, was enhanced by the addition of a range of practical demonstrations, funded by a grant of £3525. These displays – focusing on hedge planting and establishment, fencing, mechanical trimming and aftercare - were intended to encourage landowners and farmers to manage their hedgerows in a more environmental and sustainable way. Over 150 people attended the day, and the organisers, Lancashire and Westmorland Hedgelaying Association, felt it was a great success.