Weasenham Community Projects (funded by the Solar Fund). The Solar Fund is an additional source of income to the village for the sole purpose of paying for projects within the Parish that bring benefits for the local community. In 2024 the solar fund grant to the village was £12,414. The Solar Farm is owned by Bluefield Income.
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Weasenham Parish Council would be delighted to hear from its Parishioners regarding the future use of the Solar Fund. If individuals or groups have ideas about how the money could be spent for either one off projects or more regular uses such as events, they should contact the Clerk/RFO or any of the Councillors with a simple proposal. After a brief discussion amongst Councillors, we would invite you to make a more formal ‘detailed’ proposal in writing at a Parish Council Meeting to officially apply for a project to be accepted.
SOLAR FUND
Most Recent Solar Fund Projects for the Community
Removal of the old agricultural tyres from the playing fields
January 2025
(Cost £180.00: Ex VAT £150.00): Successive councils had been trying to get rid of these for years. We were able to deem this a Solar Fund project as it was of benefit to the community. Quotes were sought from three companies and the most affordable one was chosen to complete the project.
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New Replacement Battery for the Defibrillator at the Community Building January 2025 (Cost £246.00; Ex VAT £205.00): The defibrillator has already been called to a potentially life-threatening situation and is on permanent standby to save lives. It is checked every week and hence we identified that the old battery was almost on zero charge. The new one has an expected life of 4 years which should therefore last until about 2029.
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Emergency Repair on an underground Water Leak at the Community Building
October 2024
(Cost £420.00; Ex VAT £350.00 ): After Anglian Water installed their new ‘Smart Meter’ signalling mast in the village, and a new smart meter at the Community Building, we received a letter from them to say there could be a leak as the technology had detected a persistent and continuous flow. Following an initial examination by an engineer, it was determined that the most likely location of the leak would be between the smart meter and the Community Building. This meant that it was the Parish Council’s responsibility to cover the cost of any repair. We sourced the work locally and a small leak was detected on our side of the water meter at a depth of about one metre. It was totally undetectable from the surface. The Clerk suggested that it could be paid for from the Solar Fund as the repair was of benefit to the community. To confirm this, we contacted the Solar Fund Account Manager and it was agreed that this repair fell within the spirit of the Solar Fund agreement.
New Lighting around the Car Park area at the Playing Fields
October 2024
(Cost £1194.00; Ex VAT £995.00): This new lighting makes it much safer and more secure for people attending any winter events in the evening at the Community Building. Without being too obtrusive, the lights provide sufficient illumination for people to get to and from their vehicles and onto the path to the Community Building.
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New Fencing around the Car Park area at the Playing Fields
October 2024
(Cost £2751.70; Ex VAT £1142.50): The vast majority of the old woodwork (uprights and horizontal fence rails) were well rotted, particularly at the bases and replacement was essential.
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New Reinforced Concrete Pads Installed at the Community Building (front & rear)
September 2024
(Cost £873.00; Ex VAT £727.50): The rear exit is a fire escape therefore the concrete provides a far superior surface under foot. The pad at the front is now continuous with the concrete path from the car park.
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New Combination Dual Waste Bin a few metres from the bus stop in Weasenham
September 2024
(Cost £253.95; Ex VAT £211.62): A resident informed the Parish Council that litter dropping had increased around the bus stop area. After confirming the situation with Breckland District Council, we decided to purchase a dual-purpose bin (general waste & dog waste). The existing black and red dog waste bin has been put into storage. In the fullness of time, it will be refurbished, and permission will be sought to relocate it to a different part of the village providing an additional collection point.
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New Microwave Oven (& extended Warranty) for the Community Building
October 2024
(Cost £109.00; Ex VAT £94.17): The Parish Council managed to purchase the new microwave oven and get it Portable Appliance Tested ahead of the Remembrance Sunday gathering. The timing was excellent as it made it possible to provide members of the community hot sausage rolls, following the service at the War memorial. Since then, it has been well used at monthly community coffee mornings and other events.
New Basketball Hoop & Backboard September 2024, (Cost £85.99; Ex VAT £71.65): The old basketball equipment had been repaired several times over the years. The back board was split and deteriorating. A good quality replacement was purchased and the front of the combination goal (where the basketball hoop is situated) was painted with wood preserving paint in September 2024. The cost of this paint came from the Parish Council account as it was deemed to be a running cost, not a project.
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New Basketball Hoop & Backboard September 2024, (Cost £85.99; Ex VAT £71.65): The old basketball equipment had been repaired several times over the years. The back board was split and deteriorating. A good quality replacement was purchased and the front of the combination goal (where the basketball hoop is situated) was painted with wood preserving paint in September 2024. The cost of this paint came from the Parish Council account as it was deemed to be a running cost, not a project.
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New Ink-tank Printer (Parish Council Asset)
May 2024
(Cost £301.98: Ex VAT £251.65): When evaluating our running costs during 2023/2024 we realised that the existing inkjet printer was extremely expensive to run because ink cartridges are very costly. The old printer is now reserved for use by the Clerk/RFO as a Parish Council ‘Office’ item. The new ink-tank printer resides with one of the Councillors and is solely for the purpose of routine printing (e.g. Agendas, Minutes, Flyers, Leaflets, etc) where the print run is of a higher volume. The ink-tank printer is vastly more efficient and therefore lower-cost and it came with a three-year supply of ink (the manufacturer’s claim). How long it will last, will depend on output, but we are hopeful that no further ink for this printer will be required in the foreseeable future. The ink-tank printer was seen as a one-off purchase beneficial to the community and therefore a solar fund project. The existing old printer still requires a yearly running cost taken from the precept.
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The Weasenham Parish Reserve
January 2024 onwards
(£9000.00): The purpose of the Parish Reserve is to provide an emergency fund for the village. Prior to the current Council taking office, there was no reserve built into the Council budget. This is contrary to best practice as stated by professional bodies such as the Norfolk Association of Local Councils (NALC). They see this as good practice as it safeguards the Parish against emergencies, unexpected costs and it stabilises the Parish finances. Parish Councils are advised to set aside between 3 months and one year of running costs as a Parish Reserve. It was also emphasised during training undertaken by Councillors. We could have achieved a Parish Reserve by raising the precept but thought this was unnecessary. Instead, we decided to create the reserve from the Solar Fund. This was done following consultation with the Solar Fund Account Manager. It was agreed this was worthwhile and sensible for the long term benefit of the village and full consent was given to include this as a Solar Fund ‘project’.
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Previous Projects that were completed a while back
Installation of new Bollard Lighting
alongside the concrete path to the
Community Building
February 2024
Cost £3628.80; Ex VAT £3024.00): Long gone are the
times when everyone had to walk to the Community
Building and back to their cars in the dark after an
evening event in the winter months. Following the
construction of the new concrete path (which was
carried out at no expense to the Parish Council,
thanks to the generosity of a local businessman), we
embarked on the project to install bollard lighting
along its length. The lights were ultimately connected
to the new lights around the car park, and all are
activated by one key turn. They make the walk to and
from the building significantly safer and more
comfortable.
Protection of the old Village Pump
2023/2024
(Cost, £110.86; Ex VAT £92.38): After the village pump was knocked over by a delivery van, the previous council began the process of trying to recover the costs from the company that were responsible. When the current Parish Council took over in May 2023. Work had stalled. The new Parish Council took up the challenge and eventually recovered all the repair costs (£144.00) from the loss adjusters. In consultation with the local parishioners, protective posts and chains were installed around the pump and surrounding area to help prevent another collision. The Parish Council agreed to pay for the chains as a solar fund project and the cost of the posts was covered by the local parishioners.
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Legacy from the Previous Interim Council and General Running Costs
May 2023 – August 2024
(Cost £3500.00). During the first year on the new Parish Council’s existence from May 2023, our understanding of the Solar Fund was steered to some extent by the guidance that was passed on from our predecessors. In their view the Solar Fund is a source of income to the village that is managed by the Parish Council on behalf of the residents/parishioners. This is of course true. However, they viewed this income as unrestricted and to be used for any purpose in the village including general running costs. But that view is problematic.
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As new Councillors it took quite some time, to realise that paying for running costs from the Solar Fund is not best practice and not in the ‘spirit’ of the Solar Fund Agreement. Hence, during that period of just over a year there were times that the Solar Fund was used to cover general expenditure such as Staff Wages, Electricity, Water, consumables and day-to-day running costs, all of which were reported at Parish Council Meetings but not necessarily stipulated as being paid for by the fund.
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Thankfully, as our professional business relationship has developed between the Council and the Solar Fund Account Manager, we have regularly taken direct advice on such matters to develop a full understanding of how to properly manage the Solar Fund. The advice has been to move away from using the fund for running costs and we have been provided with a list of examples of what the fund should (and shouldn’t) be used for. Faced with the fact that some of our earlier decisions included transferring money to cover Parish Council running costs (in particular, one of £1500 and one of £2000) we asked the account manager if this money should be returned to the Solar Fund. The advice was “no”, as the money was legitimately used by the Parish Council for the Community to pay Parish bills, and there is “no legal reason” or requirement to return the money to the Solar Fund. Going forward, we will decide what funding is required for community ‘projects’ which could be a purchase, an event, a donation to a worthy cause (particularly local charities) and will try to avoid using the fund for any future running costs such as Electricity, Staffing Costs, Water, routine maintenance and consumables.
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Governance
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Weasenham Parish Council works within the set of rules that are set out in a ‘Solar Fund Agreement’. This is a guidance document that was issued by the solar fund company and is monitored by the funding body’s account manager, GrantScape, an independent charity that specialises in community fund administration. They are our local link, and this enables them to observe which ‘Projects’ are being considered by us for the village. The term ‘Project’ is relatively undefined, but the account manager has helped us to fine tune our understanding of what is acceptable and what is not. Based on their guidance and advice, we now have a much stronger understanding of which initiatives, purchases or even events can be identified as a ‘Project’. In every case, a project should provide a direct benefit to the community and Parish of Weasenham.
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Weasenham Parish Council as a body corporate is the sole manager and administrator of the Solar Fund and liaises closely with the account manager. Taking advice directly from the account manager allows us to ensure all projects fall within the remit and purpose of the Solar Fund agreement so that only valid projects are permitted to proceed.
Since the new Council formed and the current Councillors came into their roles in May 2023, they have been asking the residents of Weasenham Parish, to put forward ideas for new projects across Weasenham. We would like to hear about what you want to see developed in the parish.
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This page shows you some of the examples of projects that have already been completed since May 2023. We will continue to add new projects to this area, that will hopefully inspire residents to suggest future projects.
If you have any questions about the Solar Fund or suggestions for new projects, please contact the Clerk or any of the Councillors.