Every year, we help support local environmental projects through the Landfill Communities Fund (formerly the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme), which enables landfill site operators to claim tax credit for contributions they make to approved environmental bodies for spending on projects that benefit the environment. The environmental bodies are those enrolled by Entrust, the regulatory body for the scheme. Click here to find out more and enrol with Entrust.

How to apply for funding

Everyone recognises that landfill is not the best way to dispose of waste but, for now, it remains an essential part of the waste chain. In recognition of this, the Government introduced the Landfill Tax in 1996 to discourage landfill and push the focus onto recycling and more environmentally-friendly alternatives.

Alongside that tax came the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS), which is designed to help mitigate the effects of landfill and its associated activities upon local communities. It encourages partnerships between landfill operators, their local communities and the voluntary and public sectors.

In common with most landfill site operators, Devon Waste Management Ltd is entitled to donate up to 6 percent of its landfill tax liability to environmental projects in return for a 90 per cent tax credit. Supportable projects can include environmental improvement schemes or community amenity enhancement developments within 10 miles of a Devon Waste Management Ltd facility.

Each year we have around £100,000 to invest locally. We can fund up to 90 percent of the cost of a project, including professional fees.

There are some rules you need to follow to access the funding. Below are the criteria we look at in evaluating projects.

1. Enhancement of the natural environment within 10 miles of Devon Waste Management Ltd’s site at Deep Moor relating specifically to:
   
   •  Biodiversity
   •  Habitat Creation
   •  Interpretation of the natural environment
   •  Facilities for enjoyment of the environment
    
   
2. Community-led amenity projects within 10 miles of Devon Waste Management’s landfill or transfer station facilities in Devon. Community led projects can include restoration and maintenance of buildings open to the public for religious worship or which are of historic or architectural interest or reclamation of land where its use is prevented by a previous activity.

You don’t have to undergo a formal application process, but proposals should be thoroughly costed with a project expenditure plan including a timetable of spending and ideally supported by the local council and explaining the benefits the project would provide to the community. An initial consultation with the company may help to confirm whether or not the project complies with our criteria.

All projects must then have ENTRUST approval and be registered with an Environmental Body. This does require a formal application to an appropriate environmental body, which will help the project organisers through the ENTRUST application process. One which has frequently used our funded schemes is:

SWEET (South West England Environmental Trust)
Victoria House
51 Victoria Street
Bristol BS1 6AD
Telephone: 0117 904 5858

Contact: Alison Southern or Sally Campbell

Alternatively, projects which have already received ENTRUST approval are welcome to approach us to establish if funding will be available.

If Devon Waste Management Ltd is unable to contribute to the project, the environmental body may be able to secure funding from other local landfill operators.

For further information on our Landfill Tax Credit Scheme contact:

Mr Andy Vickery
Environment Manager
Devon Waste Management Ltd
Telephone: 01392 666437

Email: andrew.vickery@devonwaste.co.uk