Plans to install solar panels on a church to make to make the building more efficient and sustainable have been approved by the city council.
St Andrews With Castle Gate United Reformed Church is located on Goldsmith Street in Nottingham city.
Applicant Mark Goodwill-Hodgson submitted an application to the council on February 21 to install photovoltaic panels on the roof of the church.
The Labour-run authority approved the plans on Wednesday, May 7.
The project will see photovoltaic panels installed to the south and west roofs of the church, which is Grade-II listed with conservation group Historic England.
Photovoltaic panels use a specific type of solar technology to convert sunlight energy directly into electricity.
They are typically used to power homes and businesses sustainably.
These are different to solar thermal panels, which use sunlight to generate heat and are commonly used for heating water.
Documents read: “Planning permission is sought for an array of PV panels on the roof of the church.
“Pre-application advice was sought to determine an acceptable arrangement of the PV panels.
“As proposed, the panels would be positioned on the west and south facing roof pitches of the building.”
This is to improve the “sustainability and efficiency” of the church building, documents say.
The panels will be positioned on the south and west sides of the roof so as “not to impact upon primary views” of the church and maintain its character, documents say.
The applicant must make make sure the colour of the panels do not “contrast too much” with the church’s roof tiles, and must submit details of the type of material they are using.
The condition for the planning application reads: “A specification for the panels, to include sample images showing their colour, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.
“Thereafter, the development shall be carried out in accordance
with the approved details.
This is to “ensure that the colour of the panels is acceptable in the context of the roof tiles”.
If the colours of the panels are considered acceptable by the council, they are unlikely to affect the character and appearance of the building, documents say.
The planning application reads: “The proposed panels would be positioned on the west and south facing roof pitches of the building and have been carefully positioned so as not to impact upon primary views and significant elevations of the church.
“A condition requiring details of the panels to be submitted, to ensure that
the colour does not contrast too much with the roof tiles, is recommended.
“Subject to compliance with this condition, it is not considered that the proposal would result in significant harm to the character and appearance of the Listed Building or the wider streetscene.”
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