Ingram wins environmental scheme award

Nov 6 2009 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

IT doesn’t boast a pub, post office or shop, but a tiny village nestling in Northumberland’s Breamish Valley has much to crow about as it’s about to become one of Britain’s greenest.

Ingram was awarded up to £140,000 for green energy projects having come out on top in a regional competition.

It is to receive the money from the British Gas Green Streets energy fund, having beat off competition from two other projects in the North East in a Dragons’ Den-style competition.

Villagers pitched their projects before a panel of judges which included The Journal editor Brian Aitken.

They beat a team from Elsdon, also in Northumberland, and North Esk, near Whitby, to become one of 14 projects nationwide out of almost 100 to have applied to share £2m through the fund.

A team from Ingram, led by its village hall committee, put forward plans which include installing solar photovoltaic panels on the hall.

The building has long been in need of repair but its committee did not have the money.

The team also identified 20 homes in the parish which could be suitable for energy-saving measures, either wall fixed wind turbines, solar panels, roof insulation or cavity wall insulation.