A RENEWABLE energy company has been awarded £55,000 by the Government to build a new visitors centre.

The Westmill Energy Organisation pioneered UK community-owned renewables and it is the only combined wind and solar site in the south of England based in Watchfield, Oxfordshire.

David Johnston MP for Wantage attended Westmill and said: "I'm delighted that Westmill has been awarded money through the government's Getting Britain Building fund to create the visitors centre it has wanted for some time.

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"The new centre will enable 6 times the current number of visits and will help educate and inspire people about the potential of renewable energy."

The site currently receives 600 visitors a year and now the site is expanding its capacity for 3600 visits a year for conferences, exhibitions and training.

Planning permission and funding has been secured for a new visitors centre, upgraded road access, a toilet block, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.