Village sets an example

10:02am Monday 26th March 2007

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WHEN villagers in Brilley wanted to clear the air, Whitehall took note. Now, the tiny community nestled in the hills halfway between Hay-on-Wye and Kington is setting a national example.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has made Brilley's bid to be Herefordshire's first carbon neutral community a showcase study for the way parish plans can work.

Brilley is one of three parishes in the county being tested to see how low carbon emissions can go and has won plaudits for the energy it's put into that so far.

The Brilley Environ-mental Group - also known as Brilley Mountain Eco - has been working on reduction initiatives for more than a year backed by various green schemes.

Experts have been brought in to talk through the carbon reduction oprtions available, from insulation to wind turbines and there are field trips to eco-friendly homes and firms.

Cash for the test comes from the Herefordshire Rivers leader+ project, a European initiative supporting sustainable rural development.

An initial energy audit had Brilley generating about 3,230 tonnes of CO2 over the past year, or about 10.1 tonnes per person when the national average is 9.3 tonnes.

The government's target for CO2 reduction by 2050 is 60%. To reach this, Brilley will need to reduce emissions by about 1,301 tonnes.