PR07.01
March 2007
Biffaward funding boost for The Malthouse Project
An extensive project to restore a 17th century, timber-framed former malthouse into a heritage centre has been boosted by a £51,020 grant from Biffaward, a multi-million pound environment fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts which uses landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services.
The Malthouse, situated in the centre of Bury St Edmunds, has been empty for more than 20 years and was in a near state of dereliction. The building is an interesting and unique survivor of a small-scale industrial building from the late 17 th Century. Much of the interior has survived intact, featuring malting floors, kiln tiles and timbers from an earlier building.
A renovation project, costing in the region of £2 million, has been taking place to save its unique and historical interest. The building will retain many original malting features and these will be restored to their original condition. It will be turned into a vibrant community resource, comprising of; a heritage centre, community meeting and training rooms, a café and five new flats for local people. The Biffaward grant, awarded to St Matthew Housing, will fund the kitting out and development of the heritage room. This will include museum quality display cases, photographic record folders and malting artefacts.
Martin Bettington, Chairman of Biffaward, said “This is an excellent project that will restore an important building at the heart of Bury St Edmunds and provide a wide range of different facilities for the whole community. Biffaward is pleased to contribute towards the heritage room so that visitors can learn about the historic significance of the building.”
Wendy Cullingworth, Chief Executive of St Matthew Housing, said “We are thrilled that Biffaward was able to support this exceptional development. The Malthouse Project will not only bring back into use a building of historic significance, but offer a range of opportunities for both St Matthew Housing residents, service users and the local community.”
The £51,020 Biffaward grant includes a £5,102 contribution from The Bury St Edmunds Town Trust. Under Government regulations only 90 per cent of a grant can be provided from landfill tax – the remaining 10 per cent must come from another source.
Martin Lightfoot added: “ The Bury St Edmunds Town Trust,a charitable Building Preservation Trust has been involved in the Maltings from the start,and were very pleased to have been invited to support this Biffaward. A derelict historic industrial building has been carefully repaired and adapted to provide a wonderfull centre for an established East Anglian Charity , St Matthew Housing,to continue its work of caring for those who are less able,as well as making available the interpretation and appreciation of the buildings structure and history to a wider public."
Biffa provides a range of public sector, commercial and industrial waste collection services as well as the management of 33 operational landfill sites across the UK . The multi-million pound a year Biffaward fund has been set up, using tax charged on waste taken into landfill sites, to help finance environmental projects near Biffa sites.
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For more information, contact Biffaward's PR Team on 01636 670083 or e-mail media@rswt.org .
For more information about St Matthew Housing or The Malthouse Project contact 01284 732550 or email info@stmatthewhousing.org
EDITOR'S NOTES
In December 1997 Biffa Waste Services agreed to donate landfill tax credits to the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) to administer under the fund name Biffaward . Grants made from the fund currently amount to more than £80 million, supporting many worthwhile environmental projects.
Biffa is one of the largest single suppliers of waste management services in the UK . It collects, treats, recovers and disposes of municipal, commercial and industrial waste nationwide.
The landfill tax was introduced in the Finance Act and came into operation in 1996. It is the first truly “green tax” in the UK and its purpose is to reflect the impact of landfill on the environment and also to help achieve the targets for more sustainable waste management as set out in the Government's White Paper “Making Waste Work”. The tax, levied on the tonnage of all material disposed of in landfill sites and collected by Biffa on behalf of HM Revenue and Customs, aims to encourage recycling and reduce waste by raising the cost of disposal.
The regulations allow landfill site operators to direct up to 6.7 per cent of the tax they have collected towards approved environmental projects. However, any approved project can only receive 90 per cent of its desired funding from the landfill tax. The remaining 10 per cent must come direct from the landfill site operator or from a third party organisation or company.
www.biffaward.org
St Matthew Housing provides housing and supported accommodation for single people who are either homeless or unsuitably housed. They provide resettlement support to enable clients to successfully move on to independent accommodation and outreach support to external clients who are at risk of losing their tenancies and becoming homeless. St Matthew Housing strives to offer many varied services and opportunities to their residents and service users to enable them to achieve their own goals and move towards independence. The Malthouse Project will do just this and become a flagship centre for the organisation.
www.stmatthewhousing.org
The Bury St Edmunds Town Trust is a registered charity, with the aim of preserving, restoring and improving historical, architectural and constructional heritage in and around Bury St Edmunds. The Trust seeks to demonstrate its aim in undertaking projects promoting the best standard of design and workmanship. The Trust carried out the initial development of the Malthouse project.
St Matthew Housing worked in partnership with the Bury St Edmunds Town Trust, St Edmundsbury Borough Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund on this project.
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