Abbey secures £200K towards green energy project

A historic abbey has been given £200,000 to support an ongoing £5m heritage project to install a ground source heat pump and solar panels.

The Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust in Northampton is currently restoring and renovating its 19th Century stables into a multi-purpose space for wellbeing, retail and events.

It said that, once completed, it could save about £13,022 a year in energy costs.

The cash has come from the South Midlands Growth Hub (SMGH) which said it was to "support projects that strengthened innovation".

Ruth Roan, a SMGH manager, said: "Our aim was to support projects that strengthened innovation, supported decarbonisation ambitions and assisted commercial opportunities."

She said the project, called "A Stable Future", met that criteria and "will help to secure a financially sustainable future".

Richard Clinton, chief executive of the Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust, said it was "a nationally important site that means so much to so many people and this project which will help us to preserve its history and enable us to create a space that nurtures community, wellbeing and sustainability for generations to come.

"With this project we're also aiming to demonstrate how low-carbon technologies can be successfully integrated in a complex heritage setting to improve productivity, resilience and long-term sustainability.

"The ground source heat pump and solar photovoltaic system we're installing thanks to this funding will help us to realise this ambition."

The trust said the green scheme would deliver 32,500 kilowatt hour (kWh) of savings per year and an overall carbon reduction of 8,575 tonnes, that would strengthen its "financial resilience".

Work started in the summer of 2025 and should be completed by the summer.

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