Heavens above! Anger has erupted over plans to put in photo voltaic panels on the roof of King’s School Chapel in Cambridge
It’s considered one of Britain’s most spectacular buildings, having survived Oliver Cromwell and two world wars unscathed.
However now King’s School Chapel in Cambridge could have misplaced its iconic look amid controversial plans to plaster its roof with lots of of photo voltaic panels.
The fifteenth century gothic chapel’s lead roof is at the moment being changed and whereas the scaffolding is in place the school plans so as to add 492 panels, which is able to produce 105,000 kWh of vitality per yr.
However opposition is already flooding in earlier than its utility is taken into account by the Larger Cambridge Shared Planning committee in the beginning of subsequent month.
Roof repairs: King’s School Chapel with scaffolding whereas the lead roof is at the moment being changed
Historic England really helpful the plans be rejected, saying the panels could be misplaced within the Grade-I-listed chapel, which hosts annual Christmas and Easter providers broadcast by the BBC, and can be an amazing distinction to the present roof.
In the meantime, Cambridge Metropolis Airport needs to refuse the applying as a result of it’s involved in regards to the glare from the panels affecting its operations. The Society for the Safety of Historical Buildings stated: ‘Whereas we assist the precept of the proposal, we don’t think about the justification for the injury brought about to be sufficiently robust on this case.’
Locals are additionally towards the plan. Dave Harrison stated: ‘You would not put it within the Taj Mahal or the Pantheon.’
However a planning assertion despatched to native council officers stated: ‘The faculty absolutely understands the heritage significance of the chapel as custodians of the constructing since its building in 1441. alternative to create works that … will assist the school reply to the challenges of local weather change.’
King’s School didn’t reply to a request for remark.
