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A Dragon's Den style panel have handed cash to two Norfolk community groups who want to improve their local environment by reducing their carbon footprint.

The two projects were among six communities in the region which will get to share £500,000 after winning the judges' approval on Wednesday, 9 July, 2008 in the Cut Your Carbon competition set up by the East Of England Development Agency.

Solar lights

The Holt Area Partnership will receive up to £50,000 to fund a pilot project to change old electric street lights to solar-powered alternatives which use motion sensors to regulate their operation.

The villages of Melton Constable, Hindolveston and Warham in north Norfolk are due to benefit from the scheme to go green.

The partnership's Gary Grunwald said the lights offer a number of benefits.

"They charge up through a solar panel on the top and they are on a timer so they can be adjusted, so as you get close the light comes on and the light goes off as well," he said.

"As well as using not using any electricity from the grid, they cut down a little bit on light pollution because they're on a timer switch and the really good thing is that each lamp saves about two tonnes of CO2 a year."

Car scheme

Reepham has been awarded £30,000 to develop a car club to reduce car ownership and emissions in its bid to become a carbon neutral town.

Other groups around the region which were successful in winning grants were the Wenhaston Energy Support Group, Sproughton's tithe barn project, Flitton And Greenfield Carbon Challenge Group and Brickendon Liberty for its Watt Watchers project.

There were nine ideas short-listed from 24 submissions for this first round of the regional competition. Another five contests will be held over the next two and a half years, with a total of £2.5m available.