Palgrave site reaches shortlist

A village hall has moved a step closer to becoming more environmentally friendly after being shortlisted in a regional competition.Palgrave Community Centre, near Diss, is in line to receive thousands of pounds of funding as part of the East of England Development Agency's (EEDA) Cut your Carbon contest.

A village hall has moved a step closer to becoming more environmentally friendly after being shortlisted in a regional competition.

Palgrave Community Centre, near Diss, is in line to receive thousands of pounds of funding as part of the East of England Development Agency's (Eeda) Cut Your Carbon contest.

Officials from the community group will be presenting their eco-friendly proposals to a panel of judges next month after being whittled down from 14 applications. The Norwich Catholic Cathedral and communities in Othona, Essex, and St Mark's, Bedfordshire, have also been shortlisted.

Villagers in Palgrave applied for just under �60,000 from Eeda to erect an 11kw wind turbine at their community centre to save energy costs.

John Kilgannon, of the Reducing Energy Consumption In Palgrave Everyday group, said the funding would help secure the future of the village hall.

"We need a cheaper and more efficient source of power to maintain the building at a reasonable and consistent level of warmth and comfort for all users when in occupation at various times of the day."