2004 – 2015: Landfill tax funds
The EKF assisted and funded local community initiatives promoting social and environmental goals, and with Landfill Tax monies, funded 23 local North Lanarkshire initiatives (24 grants) with £600,000 between 2004 and the end of 2008/start of 2009.
The new grant programmes supported through the Environmental Key Fund were officially launched at an open event in June 2009 and attended by a wide variety of North Lanarkshire individuals, local community groups and other funding bodies.
Over the 2009-Present, the EKF has allocated grant funding to projects in North Lanarkshire eligible to receive Environmental Key Fund Fund monies under relevant objects of the scheme:
- Objective A: the protection of the environment to develop or improve a public park or other public amenity for leisure or recreational purposes;
- Objective B: to conserve or enhance public greenspace or improve biodiversity;
- Objective C: to repair or restore a place of worship or building of historical, architectural or cultural significance;
- Objective D: to encourage the more efficient use of energy to target carbon reduction and emissions; or
- Objective E: to reduce fuel , food and transport poverty.
- Objective F: to support and develop education or other community benefits.
In support of the distribution of funds across these categories, the EKF administered three-tiered programmes:
- Community grants for requests up to £2,000;
- Small Grants for requests between £2,001 and £20,000; and
- Main Grants for requests between £20,001 and £100,000
The EKF established application and guidance procedures to support groups and organisations from North Lanarkshire to apply and access the Fund.
The EKF also arranged a dedicated Fund Officer whose role was to support the ongoing management and development of the EKF fund in line with priorities of the board of directors.
In the most recent phase of EKF funding (2009-2015), a further 67 community projects (76 grants) were funded to the tune of £1.66m.
On 1 April 2015, the new Scottish Landfill Communities Fund (SLCF) operated and regulated by The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), began distributing Scottish Landfill Tax (SLfT), replacing the existing UK funding scheme in Scotland, previously regulated by ENTRUST. Unfortunately, around that time, North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) also closed Auchinlea Landfill Site, Landfill Communities Fund Applications which meant applications to the EKF closed.
2015 – Today: Black Law Windfarm funds
However as a result of the development of Black Law Windfarm on the boundary of North and South Lanarkshire and West Lothian, ScottishPower Renewables (UK) Limited currently make a voluntary Community Benefit Contribution to North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) which is transferred to EKF for administration and going forward, the EKF’s focus on ENTRUST compliance no longer applied, thus allowing a slightly more flexible remit.