AN £8,000 scheme to cut fuel bills at Highbridge Community Hall may be falling foul of new EU laws, meaning a funding bid for the project could be turned down.

To keep hire charges down, the group which runs the hall in Market Street wants to cut energy costs by installing 12 to 16 solar panels on its roof, and the centre is seeking thousands of pounds worth of grants from local councils.

But town councillor Chris Williams, who is also on the hall management group, said the group’s application to Sedgemoor District Council for £2,000 was likely to be turned down as there were new rules on funding solar panel schemes.

He said: “I’ve been very recently informed that public buildings can no longer get grants from local authorities for projects like these.

“The scheme operates in the form of a feedback tariff, which means we could make a profit, and the new laws means the council can’t fund these panels, which has changed from a few years ago, I believe.

“There are other sources of funding available, but we need to discuss them to make progress on what these might be.

“We’d hoped to get the solar panels installed in the next year, but this news will delay us.

“It won’t stop the project – it just means we need to discuss the way forward and look at what to do next.”

Charitable organisation Communities First in Highbridge has earmarked £1,700 for the scheme, and the town council is considering an application for £1,000.