FARMS can now get government funding to help with the cost of installing wind turbines from a £2.5m pot aimed at rural enterprises.

Rural micro-firms and farms in the North-East can apply for half the cost of projects that improve their business from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).

The projects can cover anything from farm shops to fishing lakes, and could include wind turbines, biomass boilers and heat exchangers.

The £2.5m has been agreed by regional development agency One North East, which oversees the RDPE in this region, and follows a successful £1m pilot scheme which has supported more than 400 rural businesses in less than a year.

One North East’s rural board member, Ian Brown, said: “Small businesses are a huge part of the rural economy so it is important that we show our support by putting our money where our mouth is and making this funding available to those who can benefit from it.

“The funding will effectively seek mainstream support for rural businesses, helping them to realise aspirations of sustainability and growth.”

For more details, contact Business Link on 0845-600-9006 or visit businesslink.gov.uk/northeast