No to solar panels on church roof
The Council and Planning Inspector both said the panels went against the buildings architectural character
The owners of a converted Wiltshire church have been told they cannot have solar panels on their home.
In July, the owners of the Grade II-listed home, The Old Church at Hill Deverill, near Warminster asked Wiltshire Council for permission to mount 12 solar panels on the roof of their home.
Wiltshire Council said the panels would “introduce a modern and visually discordant feature that conflicts with the building’s ecclesiastical character and architectural significance,” and refused planning permission.
In October, the couple appealed to the Planning Inspectorate, telling planning inspector Neil Pope “Owning and living in a listed building can be very fulfilling, but can also be very challenging in respect of maintenance, upgrading or renewing and energy consumption.
“The proposal of solar panels to the rear/south-facing roof of the property would be the most suitable aesthetically and in relation to system performance.
“Homeowners who live in and take responsibility for listed assets should not be penalised because of the listed aspect of their property.”
But this week the inspector refused the appeals.
Noting that the church dated to the 15th century, with a 19th-century rebuild, he said the building “remains legible as a church and a high-quality landmark building within the countryside.”
“The proposal would fail to preserve the features of special architectural interest of The Old Church,” he said.