A HOLIDAY cottage business is hoping to do its bit for the environment after securing council funding to expand.
The Bousdale Farm holiday cottage, in Pinchinthorpe, east Cleveland, has received £30,000 from the Rural Development Programme for England’s (RDPE) business and community asset scheme, overseen by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
Owner Paul Bartram plans to convert a redundant building on the site into self-catering accommodation.
The funding will meet about a quarter of the cost of the £120,000 project, which is due to be finished in the spring.
He said: “We already have a strong environmental policy and encourage the use of public transport, recycling, water butts and various energy products. A biomass boiler will be bought to provide carbon- neutral central heating and hot water to the proposed and existing holiday lets.
“We use local produce in our welcome packs and provide guests with details of our suppliers.
“Local restaurants, producers and retail outlets will all benefit from an increase in the number of visitors.”
Under the RDPE scheme, grants of more than £10,000 are available for any new or existing firms with less than ten staff, community enterprises looking to expand, or farm businesses wishing to diversify.
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