More than £740,000 has been awarded to improve the environment in the Harrogate district as part of a landscape recovery fund.
In 2016, money was set aside to help offset damage to the local area caused by the Allerton Waste Recovery Park near Knaresborough, which converts up to 320,000 tonnes of waste into energy.
North Yorkshire County Council started a contract with waste treatment company Amey to run the plant in 2014.
A section 106 agreement, which obliges developers to pay a sum to mitigate the impact of development, led to the creation of the Allerton Park Landscape and Cultural Heritage Fund to support community projects that improve landscapes and biodiversity.
The council said today this has now funded 92 projects with a total value of £742,126.
The schemes include tree planting in Arkendale and Coneythorpe and the restoration or creation of 14 ponds.
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Boroughbridge High School received funding to help clear a pond area to attract more wildlife and create a space for outdoor learning.
The school has also installed a wildlife camera to capture images to enable the children to see what is happening when they are not there.
Funding has also gone towards refurbishing telephone boxes and a war memorial, information boards and church projects, as well as the creation or repair of 2.2km of pathways.
Cllr Derek Bastiman, executive county councillor for waste management, said:
“The projects supported by the Allerton Park Landscape and Cultural Heritage fund provide a lasting benefit to this area. They encourage wildlife and increase biodiversity, restore and enhance features of local cultural heritage to be handed to the next generation and allow the young to learn about the world around them.
“Many volunteers have been involved and I thank the local communities for undertaking all these projects. I also thank members of the community that supported the decision making process, attending panel meetings to provide local insight and enabling grant awards to maximise the benefit of this fund to provide a lasting legacy.”