Hart District Council has been awarded a £100,000 grant from the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF). The funding is awarded to innovative projects that tackle climate change and drive private investment in nature.
Hart’s funding will be spent on tasks including:
- Creating an environmental strategy that will offset the carbon impact of the district e.g. through emissions and new buildings
- Developing a self-funding model for environmental services e.g., selling carbon offsetting measures to businesses and individuals
- Piloting nature enhancement projects on our countryside sites e.g., creating new ponds or transforming grassland into wildflower sites
The recent Government Environment Act has put a duty on Developers to not just offset any biodiversity losses when they build but enhance and add to the biodiversity in the area (known as biodiversity ‘netgain’) Hart is also committed to a lower carbon community and by combining these two schemes we will deliver a comprehensive environment offsetting strategy which will also help fund future climate change and biodiversity projects.
Ultimately, these measures will mean a greener district that addresses the rebalance of the biodiversity with every new development and will greatly assist Hart with their duty to protect and enhance biodiversity.
Cllr David Neighbour, Leader of Hart District Council, said: “We are grateful to have been awarded this funding to continue our climate change work which is aligned to our 2040 Vision for the district. We have high hopes that we will be able to attract private investment which will make a significant difference to our Climate Change contributions”
Read the article on the Hart District Council website.
