South Lanarkshire Council

Tarbrax Common Association has been awarded £50,000, Forth and District Millennium Wall Hanging Group £14,546 and Netherburn Tenants and Residents Association got £12,467.

Tarbrax Common Association will use the money for environmental and upgrading works at the village's Common Green. The green suffers badly from flooding due to a high level of peat content so local groups are unable to use it for much of the year.

The association were founded in 2007 to take forward local concerns over the green. Public meetings were organised and a feasibility study carried out which identified the work which will need to be carried out. This includes excavation and drainage works, new footpaths, benches and planted areas. This will mean the Common Green can be used by groups for formal events and children as a general play area.

Improvements to the road into the village will also be carried out and, subject to the completion of the works, more improvements will be carried out on the road and footpaths around the Common Green.

The money awarded by Black Law REF is dependent on the Association receiving match funding for the project from other sources to meet the total cost of the project which is £184,000.

A contract administrator will manage the project and report back to the Association on progress. It is expected work will begin in early 2011 and take around six months to complete.

Forth and District Millennium Wall Hanging Group, which was established in 1999 to promote charitable purposes and promote modern and traditional crafts, will use its award for a community based arts project called Inspiring Landscapes.

The project will be based upon the changing landscape at Black Law Wind Farm using three interpretive art forms - wool crafts, creative writing and digital photography. Community workshops will be led by professional artists with commissioned pieces being designed individually and collectively with the local community.

The money awarded by the REF is also dependent on the group getting funding from other sources to meet the £41,560 total for the project.

The project will be managed by a steering group which will have representatives from community groups and statutory agencies including the council. Day to day running of the project will be carried out by a project manager with support from other bodies.

Netherburn Tenants and Residents Association will use its cash windfall to help improve the main park in the village which needs upgrading for football and other informal and formal community events.

The association will also have to find funding from other sources to meet the total cost of the project which is £41,558.

The project will be managed by the council's Community Resources which will report on progress to the Association. Once completed, the park will be maintained by Community Resources. Work is expected to begin in early 2011 and be completed by summer 2011.

Councillor Chris Thompson, the chair of the council's Enterprise Resources Committee, said: "I am delighted that we are able to support three such worthwhile local projects through the Black Law Renewable Energy Fund. Each project is unique and brings with it something of real value to the local community.

"It's worth noting that none of these projects would be able to go ahead without the support of the REF whose £77,013 funding represents a significant investment in projects which will have a real benefit to the area."

The REF was set up in March 2004 by the council and is funded by ScottishPower Renewables, which operates the Black Law Wind Farm. The council is responsible for advising potential applicants, assessing applications and monitoring projects to ensure the community benefits associated with each project are delivered.

Martin Mathers, Community Relations Manager for ScottishPower Renewables, said: "Supporting community projects is a key aspect of all our developments and we are always delighted to see so many people benefiting from our funding."