Our history

It started with a conversation at a Neston Earth Group meeting about ‘doing something big ‘. Back in 2023 this group of committed climate change campaigners decided to survey the town to see what big ideas residents had for impacting on the climate. Tackling pollution emerged as a key concern and when we looked deeper into responses much of the concern was about emissions from burning fossil fuels for energy ie for cars, homes or industry.

 

Neston Earth Group set up a group to look into solutions and they proposed that a community energy scheme might do the job, using the roof of civic buildings to host a small solar array to generate power for the building, ev charging points and community benefit, should there be any surplus income from a scheme.

By the start of 2024 the group had begun to attract members with interests ranging from alternative energy generation to business development and climate change and they decided to hold a public meeting to propose a community energy co-operative was established.

With the support of Neston Community and Youth Centre, our first public meeting was held in March 24 attended by over 20 local residents where we presented lots of ideas from around the country for ways to generate energy within communities including sun, wind, water, geo-thermal, heat recovery etc. The outcome of the meeting was for the Neston Earth Group to establish a stand alone legal entity, a co-operative, to take ideas forward – Neston Community Energy (NCE)

The meeting, was also attended by CWaC officers and local Councillors. We were advised that the Council was already considering a solar scheme in the town on the Clayhill Industrial Park, but that this would need a full feasibility study.

NCE decided they would adopt this project as potential quick win and set about applying for funding whilst also registering a business bank account and formally establishing NCE as a co-op. We took advice from Co-op UK and established ourselves as a Community Benefit Society – this is a specific type of co-op which can raise money from community share issues, return modest interest on investments and invest any surplus in the local community.

Having incorporated Neston Community Energy Limited as a Community Benefit Society, it was then registered with the Financial Conduct Authority to authorise us to manage member and investor monies, if necessary and with Companies House. The Founder members then appointed the Directors. These Directors to serve until the next NCE AGM.

We submitted an application to the Community Energy Fund (from the now named Department for Energy Security & Net Zero or DESNZ). The application was handled by Lancashire County Council who administer the Community Energy Fund in the North West. We were informed in early Oct we had been successful in obtaining almost ₤38,000 for a full feasibility study for a solar park on the Clayhill landfill site.

The feasibility study will be carried out by experienced specialist consultants Scene Connect Ltd . Work begins at the end of Oct and a report will be produced at the beginning of March 2025 when the site has been fully assessed, the local community has been consulted and all legal and financial aspects of the scheme‘s feasibility have been examined in detail.