Projects around Powys are to receive a combined £2 million in funding to help them with environmental projects.

Ten projects around the county will receive the cash from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Protecting homes from flood damage, growing produce on community sites and helping companies reduce their Co2 emissions are among the work backed by grants from Powys Shared Prosperity Fund Local Partnership.

In total, £42 million of UK Shared Prosperity Fund was allocated to Mid Wales, which is to be distributed to various organisations by March 2025.

Cllr David Selby, Powys County Council’s cabinet member for a more Prosperous Powys and chair of the Powys SPF Local Partnership said it was “great” to see the money being shared with groups devoted to tackling climate change.

He said: “It is great to see a good portion of this UK Shared Prosperity Fund money has already been allocated to projects that will help us address the climate and nature emergencies and there are more projects of a similar nature that are still to be assessed or signed-off.”

Cllr Jackie Charlton, cabinet member for a greener Powys added: “The projects that have been approved will help us to meet our commitment to be net zero for carbon emissions as a council by 2030 and as a county by 2050, and for 30 percent of our land and water to be positively managed for nature by 2030.

“I’m also delighted that we have been able to make this announcement during Wales Climate Week 2023.”

That projects that have received funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund are:

  • Property Flood Resilience, £825,000, to Powys County Council’s Highways, Transport and Recycling Services, to help property owners protect their homes and businesses from flood damage.
  • Mid Wales Business Energy Efficiency Boost, £403,392, to Severn Wye Energy Agency, to help small and medium-sized businesses reduce their energy bills and CO2 emissions.
  • Powys Community Growing Support, £204,910, to Social Farms and Gardens’ Wales Team, to help develop community vegetable and fruit growing sites and social enterprises across Powys.
  • Paths to Prosperity, £131,187, to Powys County Council in partnership with Ramblers Cymru, to develop and promote quality, all-year-round walking trails that will support sustainable tourism.
  • Contract and Supplier Decarbonisation, £125,000, to Powys County Council’s Procurement and Commercial Services Team, to help cut the council’s supply chain carbon emissions.
  • Insulating Powys, £112,846 to NPTC Group of Colleges, to train more insulation installers and promote the benefits of their work to homeowners.
  • Community Buildings Energy Efficiency, £83,000, to Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority, for the second phase of a project delivering reduced energy bills and CO2 emissions for community buildings.
  • Biodiversity Engagement, £61,500 to Powys County Council’s Countryside Services, to fund a nature recovery officer for two years, to help deliver the county’s Nature Recovery Action Plan.
  • Tremont Estate Greenspace, £60,000, to Powys County Council’s Countryside Services, for play and biodiversity improvements to the greenspace on the Tremont housing estate in Llandrindod Wells.
  • Talgarth Low Carbon Energy Project, £50,000, to Powys County Council in partnership with GP Biotec, for a feasibility study to see if surplus energy from the GP Biotec anaerobic digestion plant in Talgarth can be used to power council vehicles and public buildings