A PARISH council has made energy-saving efficiencies to its historic village hall thanks to a grant worth more than £40,000.

The project, at White Colne Village Hall, has seen the installation of 30 solar panels, an air source heat pump, an electric vehicle charging point and a battery storage system to store captured energy.

The village hall, which dates back to the Victorian era, offers a venue for events, markets and parties, regular classes and meetings.

It also acts as a weekly hub and has hot desks for locals wanting an alternative to working from home.

As there is no shop, pub or school in White Colne, residents rely on the village hall as a community hub.

In the new project, a large energy display board showing how much energy is generated, stored and exported has been installed to showcase the building’s net zero capabilities too.

As part of the decarbonisation measures, the old gas boiler has also been replaced with a commercial electric stove.

With these upgrades, the hall is now able to generate its own electricity, bringing cost savings as well as energy saving efficiencies.

Excess energy will be traded on a peer-to-peer basis adding an additional source of income.

Exchanging energy on a peer-to-peer basis with businesses and residents instead of the national grid means better export rates and cheaper tariffs for the end consumer.

The project is thanks to a £43,000 grant from the UK Government’s Rural England Prosperity Fund, which has been administered and supported by Braintree Council.

Jane Taylor, chair of White Colne Parish Council, said: “White Colne is a small community of just 500 residents, but thanks to this wonderful grant we have been able to make a difference in the day-to-day fight to reach net zero.

"By example, we are able to dispel some of the myths around solar energy, battery storage and heat pumps, plus encourage everyone to embrace locally generated renewable energy.”

The Colne Valley Community Energy Project will be showcasing the carbon reduction measures introduced at the village hall in a bid to inspire and encourage residents and business owners to improve their energy efficiency too.

It event will be held at the White Colne Village Hall this Saturday from 10am to 4pm.