Wednesday another D-Day for Grantown’s solar panels plan
The next round in a Grantown church’s long, long fight for the right to install solar panels to heat the building sustainably is set to take place on Wednesday next week.
Inverallan Church, in Grant Road, is once again having to contend with official resistance to a central plank of its project to ensure the place of worship has a viable future as a more general community-use centrepoint in the Strathspey capital.
In January the latest block against the development was lifted when Highland Council’s Planning Review Body overturned a contentious decision by their officers in November and granted alterations and installatio of solar panels on the roof of the Category B listed building.
Now it’s that very listing which is the bone of contention.
Next Wednesday the issue will come to a head at the South Planning Applications Committee in Inverness - where officials are again recommending refusal.
Papers released today on the proposed installation of the solar PV panels confirm that “All relevant matters have been taken into account when appraising this application.
Planners report: “It is considered that the proposal does not accord with the principles and policies contained within the Development Plan and is unacceptable in terms of applicable material considerations.
“Members are asked to agree the recommendation to refuse the application as set out in section 11 of the report.”
Listed building consent is sought for the installation of roof mounted photovoltaic panels on the southwest facing roof plane above the main entrance to, and frontage of, the church building.
The proposed photovoltaic panel array will consist of 39 panels and measures 14.86m x 3.74m taking up a substantial proportion of the roof plane upon which they will sit.
The application is a resubmission, as no appeal was made against the refusal of listed building consent, which still stands.
Planning permission was granted for the panels by the Planning Review Body on February 4.
“However, the planning history for the site is considered relevant and provides a clear view that the installation of photovoltaic panels in the proposed location is not considered to be acceptable.”
