Chalgrave council awarded fund to encourage ducks to return to Tebworth.

Parish councillors have secured a grant from a national scheme to restore a Bedfordshire ‘haven for wildlife’. Chalgrave Parish Council was awarded £4,416 to renovate a much loved pond in Tebworth and give the surrounding recreational area a make-over. Work is scheduled to begin this month, after the grant was approved on April 30.

Lesley Smith, clerk to Chalgrave parish council and volunteer on the pond rejuvenation, said: “It will be wonderful to be able to sit by the pond and walk my dog around the area. I’m looking forward to the ducks and coots returning, as well as the frogs and newts.”

The project has been funded under the Biffa Award, a multi-million pound fund that helps to transform lives through awarding grants to community and environmental projects across the UK.

At the moment the pond is completely silted up and choked by weeds, so it cannot be used by wildlife and is an eyesore rather than a feature of the village. The community would like to see it restored and the return of water birds and amphibians. In addition to the clearance works, the project will also cut back the overgrown areas surrounding the pond, and paint the bench and railings at the site. Volunteers have worked hard in the past to maintain the area, but heavy duty vehicles and equipment are needed.

Parish councillor and project leader Debbie Hampson said: “This grant will enable us to restore the pond to its former glory so it can be enjoyed by the local community and wildlife will return.”

Since 1997, Biffa Award has awarded grants totalling more than £155 million to thousands of community and environmental projects across the UK. The programme administers money donated by Biffa Group Ltd through the Landfill Communities Fund. The Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) is a tax credit scheme enabling operators (LOs) to contribute money to organisations enrolled with ENTRUST as Environmental Bodies (EBs). EBs use this funding for a wide range of community and environmental projects in the vicinity of landfill sites. LOs are able to claim a credit (currently 5.7%) against their landfill tax liability for 90% of the contributions they make. Since its inception in 1996, over £1.3billion has been spent on more than 51,000 projects across the UK. For further information visit www.entrust.org.uk or see HMRC’s general guide to landfill tax.

Story courtesy of Bedfordshire on Sunday