ENVIRONMENTALLY-friendly to the tune of £1.7 million!

That's the amount of cash distributed by Pilsworth Environment Company (PEC) to help fund large and small projects in Radcliffe and the rest of the Bury area.

The £1.7 million has been given in grants since Pilsworth Environment Company was launched in 1997.

It was established as a partnership between Bury Council and the then owners and operators of the Pilsworth Landfill site, Terry Adams, now Viridor Waste Management.

All the cash distributed has come via the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme which has proved to be very good news for community projects within a ten-mile radius of the landfill site.

Around 70 organisations and projects have received cash grants during the past three years. And they illustrate that the Pilsworth Environment Company supports large and small projects.

The largest amount given was £255,000 to help finance the transformation of an old railway line at Daisyfield, Bury, into a popular footpath.

And a further £158,988 went towards a massive scheme to open up the historic remains of the 15th century Bury Castle into a tourist attraction.

Other local beneficiaries of the grants have been the Millennium Wood, Burrs Country Park, the Heywood Rail Link, Elms Bank High School in Whitefield, the Outwood Viaduct and a host of churches.

The money has helped fund numerous environment-related projects which will have a lasting impact on the community.

And thanks to the gestures of those behind Pilsworth Environmental Company, the cash has played a vital role in improving and enhancing many areas of the borough.

Nationally, Viridor say they distributed £6.65 million for the year ending last September.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme was introduced in October, 1996, under the Finance Act (Landfill Tax Regulations) and allows landfill operators to redirect a portion of their tax to environmental projects.

The aim of the scheme is to encourage sustainable waste management practices, to benefit the community and the environment and to encourage partnerships between landfill operators and local communities.

Organisers of community groups or other bodies which would like to be considered for cash can get an application form by writing to:

Pilsworth Environment Company, Bridge House, 48-52 Baldwin Street, Bristol BS1, 1QD.