Cabinet approved a £110,000 fund on 21 October for solar panels, batteries and EV chargers on village halls, parish buildings and schools. Bids open later.
Village halls, parish buildings and community centres across Maidstone could get grants of £5,000 to £25,000 for solar panels under a new council fund. Maidstone Borough Council’s Cabinet will decide on Wednesday 21 October whether to spend £110,000 on a Community Energy Capital Programme.
Updated 26 October: Cabinet agreed on 21 October to use the £110,000 for a Community Energy Programme covering solar panels, battery storage and, where appropriate, EV charging (decision notice). The decision notice gives no date for applications to open; we will add it when the council publishes one. It can be called in until 30 October.
The report to Cabinet says the money would pay for eight to ten buildings, with an average grant of about £12,500 (Community Energy Capital Programme report, Cabinet, 21 October 2026).
What the money would and would not pay for
The fund would cover only three things:
- solar panels
- battery storage
- electric vehicle charging, where appropriate
It would not pay for insulation, new glazing or heat pumps.
Why the council wants to do it
The council already ran a similar scheme with government Rural Prosperity Fund money between April 2023 and March 2025. The report says the finished projects typically cut electricity costs by 50 to 80 per cent. It names three:
The results were measured over the winter, when panels generate least. The report expects a full year to show bigger savings. It does not say which building in each village was fitted.
According to the report, halls used the savings to hold down hire charges and protect preschools, community halls and village shops. Some sites with batteries kept key services going during power cuts.
What the council expects the new fund to achieve
The report estimates that eight to ten installations would produce:
- 80 to 120 kWp of solar capacity
- 76,000 to 114,000 kWh of electricity a year
- £19,000 to £29,000 a year in energy savings
- 15 to 23 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent saved each year
Over 20 years, it puts the value of the electricity at £360,000 to £540,000.
Who could apply, and how much the council would pay
The fund would be open to parish councils, community organisations, charitable trusts, village halls and community centres in the borough. Smaller groups would get a bigger share of the cost:
| Applicant | Council contribution |
|---|---|
| Small community groups and village halls | up to 100% |
| Parish councils with limited reserves | up to 75 to 90% |
| Larger parish councils | up to 50 to 75% |
| Organisations with substantial reserves | up to 50% |
Bids would need details of the installation, proof of ownership or permission, a year of electricity bills, at least one quote and the expected community benefit. Officers would score them on need, carbon savings, cost savings and whether the group can maintain the system. Winners would have to put part of their savings back into further energy or resilience work.
How much interest there is
Before drawing up the scheme, the council surveyed parish councils. Eighteen replied, about half the borough’s parishes. Of the answers the report breaks down, three councils were interested, eight were curious, one was undecided and two were not interested. One of those two already has solar panels. The report adds that some invitations may not have reached every parish councillor.
The money is already set aside in the council’s climate action plan, under an action to help community renewable energy. A council committee backed the plan on 6 October.
What it means for you
- If you run a village hall, church hall or community building: the scheme is not open yet. If Cabinet approves it on 21 October, the council says it will finalise the details, announce a launch and contact parishes directly. A year of electricity bills and a solar quote are the two things worth gathering now.
- If you hire a hall: cheaper running costs were how the earlier projects kept hire fees down, according to the report.
- If you want to follow the decision: the meeting papers are on the Cabinet agenda page. We will report the outcome.
Sources
- Maidstone Borough Council: Community Energy Capital Programme 2026, report to Cabinet, 21 October 2026 (all figures)
- Cabinet agenda, 21 October 2026
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