Four projects across Richmondshire will receive a funding boost from the Skeeby Solar Community Fund to support positive environmental and social impacts locally. The fund was set up by Harmony Energy and has continued to be supported by the company, following the site sale in 2023.
The latest grants will support:
- Road safety in Skeeby – Skeeby Parish Council will install a solar-powered Moveable Vehicle Activated Speed Sign, roadside mounting post, two Community Speed Watch signs and its own Community Speed Watch kit to encourage safer driving and protect all road users.
- A community orchard in Richmond – Richmond Town Council will plant apple and plum trees in Lady Serena Park, creating a welcoming green space for residents to enjoy.
- An air quality campaign – Richmond School, Richmondshire Climate Action Partnership and North Yorkshire Council will deliver a scooter shelter for Richmond School, ‘No Idling’ banners for Clean Air Day and other events, and ‘Scoot to School’ rewards to promote healthier, pollution-free travel.
- The Richmond Christmas Fair – The Richmond Business and Tourism Association (ORBTA) will receive sponsorship for the 2025 Christmas Fair on 7 December.
Barbara, Chair of the Richmondshire Climate Action Partnership, said: “Our recent grant from the Skeeby Solar fund is great news for our plans to help improve air quality on Darlington Road in Richmond, Yorkshire. We will be helping children to choose pollution-free travel to school, providing a scooter shelter at one of the schools and supporting activities like walking trains, which involve the children in healthy and safe car-free travel. We will also be running local publicity campaigns around the issue, working with Richmond School and North Yorkshire Council to deliver our plans.”
Skeeby Parish Council said: “Skeeby Parish Council are passionate about helping to create safer roads, protecting all road users, and improving road safety at a local level to meet community needs.
“The donation from the Harmony Energy Community Fund will enable us in our endeavours with the funding of a solar-powered Moveable Vehicle Activated Speed Sign, along with associated items to support our existing Community Speed Watch volunteer team.
“We hope to encourage safer driving, to have significant benefits for active travel, and to improve community cohesion, as a direct result of this project. Our grateful thanks to Harmony Energy for their kind support.”
Harmony Energy sold the Skeeby Solar Farm in 2023 but has continued to contribute to the Community Fund, ensuring its impact on local benefit lives on.
Harmony Energy’s Head of Sustainability, Lucie Peralta Agass, said: “These initiatives show how renewable energy projects can deliver lasting, tangible benefits for local people living near our projects.
“It’s been a pleasure to see what the funds will be supporting in and around Skeeby, and we cannot wait to see the benefits.”
Construction of Harmony Energy’s Skeeby Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is scheduled to start in late 2025 to early 2026. The 35 MW / 70 MWh BESS will be supported by a community fund, with local groups and organisations encouraged to apply once it is live. Harmony Energy’s award-winning BESS projects are key to enabling renewable energy to flourish, enhancing the nation’s energy security, supporting a more affordable energy system and generating jobs and economic growth.
