SIDBURY Village Hall will be boosted by solar power after 16 photovoltaic panels were installed on the roof of the hub.

Work was completed by Ford and Sons contractors in time for the venue to benefit from a higher tariff when selling surplus power back to the National Grid – reduced by 50 per cent on Monday.

Roger Davey, Sidbury Village Hall chairman, told the Herald: “The committee decided to do this as it is an excellent investment which will produce an income of around �1,800 per year under a contract which runs for 25 years. It was an easy decision to make.”

The panels cost around �12,000 and Mr Davey said the spend will lead to a “fantastic” income in the future. He added the hall won’t be completely solar powered.

“When the sun is out in the summer, they will certainly produce enough power to do all of our lighting as the hall isn’t used much in the day,” said Mr Davey.

Mike Ford, director of Ford and Sons, said he was “dismayed” at the government’s decision to bring forward the tariff deadline.

He added it meant disappointment for many of the firm’s customers, but staff ensured Sidbury Village Hall made the deadline as “a matter of pride”. “The workforce had made sacrifices to ensure the installation was delivered on time,” said Mr Ford.