Is conservation getting in the way of tackling climate change?

The question has been asked by Dorset councillors after solar panel applications on two Dorset schools were reduced in size because of concerns of ‘harm’ to the look of the buildings.

Area planning committee councillors say they are puzzled why concerns for the appearance of buildings has reduced the solar schemes – halving the climate change benefits.

For both Thorners School at Litton Cheney and Symondsbury Primary School Dorset Council’s own conservation officers had objected to using the main buildings for solar panels claiming in would cause ‘heritage harm’ to the buildings.

For one they had recommended rejecting the solar scheme altogether.

Cllr Kate Wheller said she failed to understand why the panels had been taken off the main buildings in the proposals – claiming that had they built at least half the panels would not be seen.

“I’m just really disappointed that it’s been watered down … we say we are committed to climate change, I’m sorry we have reduced this,” she said.

Cllr Nick Ireland echoed the feeling – pointing out that there had been no objections to the original, larger, proposal at Thorners.

“Why it was watered down is beyond me,” he said.

Cllr Kate Wheller said that as a council the authority was signed up to tackle climate change and had £19million of Government money to spend on public building projects to make them greener by the end of the financial year.

“Who is going to object? Presumably our conservation officers. Are our conservation officers really going to appeal against their own council if we went ahead?” she said.

Cllr Kelvin Clayton said that having solar panels on every public building sent out an important message and suggested the council ought to reconsider its current stance of not putting solar panels on certain listed buildings.

The Thorners School scheme has been halved in size from the 150 panels originally proposed – taking the panels off the roof of the18th century grade two listed main building and an adjoining newer building.

The 75 remaining panels will now be fitted in four arrays of panels on the more recent school buildings – producing around 26KW of power, an annual saving of 6,000kg in carbon emissions.

At Symondsbury primary school panels originally proposed on the southward facing roof of the main school building had been withdrawn on grounds of ‘harm’ to the look of the building – a stance supported by the parish council.

Planning officers had recommended rejecting the entire application because of the harm it would cause to the listed school building together with the impact on the wider conservation area which includes other listed buildings in the village.

Dorset Council had originally put forward a proposal for 84 panels with the amended scheme for 44 panels in four arrays to be installed on two flat roof surfaces.

The amended proposal will produce 15KW of power each year, amounting to a 3,570kg saving in carbon dioxide emissions each year.

Cllr Wheller said that the council needed to seize every opportunity for alternative energy generation – by failing to do so would put the environment at further risk.

“We should do everything we can to achieve, or even over-achieve, our climate change targets. We can’t keep saying we will leave it to another day,” she said.

Both projects will be funded from a Government grant to upgrade Dorset Council’s properties, awarded to help to tackle the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

Apart from solar panels the council is also using the grant to invest in low energy lighting, additional insulation and alternative forms of heating for public buildings, including ground source and air source projects.