Cumbrae church given green light to install solar panels

Our Lady Of Perpetual Succour Church on College Street in Millport was granted permission from North Ayrshire Council to install 12 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to their  south facing roof.

The application - which was submitted in February - did receive a letter on concern from the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland, who highlighted that the solar panels would be placed on a street facing roof slope in Millport Conservation Area and an alternative location should be found for the panels.

However, the local authority responded stating that the proposal would have a "significant negative impact on the appearance of the Conversation Area" and the rear roof panel would not be suitable for installation of the technology.

In a report of the handling of the case, a council official said: "Solar PV panels are by their nature a piece of modern technology which is not in-keeping which the historic character of a Conservation Area.

"This however needs to be balanced with an acknowledgement of the need to transition to a low carbon economy and the role that microgeneration will play in this transition.

"It is therefore considered prudent to take a balanced approach to proposals for solar PV panels in Conservation Areas, and to support such proposals where the impact on the Conservation Area is considered to be minor.

"In this instance, while the panels would be located on the front roof panel of a building, the building is located off the main promenade of Millport on a secondary thoroughfare and is not therefore highly visible.

"Furthermore, the building is a twentieth century construction, and while it is a fine example of a building from this period, it is not considered to be of any historic importance.

"Finally, it should be noted that only a small section of the roof panel would be covered and therefore the overall impact of the development is considered to be small."

North Ayrshire Council approved the application with no conditions.