Climate Change Adaptation Case Study: Installing Solar Panels at Chester Cathedral
This case study shows how the staff at a Grade I listed cathedral gained consent for installing solar panels.
About the property
Chester Cathedral is situated in the heart of Chester City Centre Conservation Area. The Cathedral is Grade I listed, as are all the other buildings associated with the Cathedral.
The Cathedral was originally part of a Benedictine Abbey. It dates from around 1100, with various alterations over the following centuries.
About the adaptation
In 2020 the Church of England announced ambitious targets for all parts of the Church to be net zero by 2030. This includes considering how the energy efficiency of existing buildings can be improved. To help meet this target, Chester Cathedral aimed to reduce its energy use and carbon footprint by installing solar panels on the southern roof slopes. The Cathedral management applied to Chester and West and Chester Council Planning Authority for listed building consent and planning permission for installing solar panels.
Historic England commented on the proposals stating that while the solar panels were unlikely to be visible from near the building, the Cathedral would need to evaluate and assess the impact of solar panels on views from further afield.
What happened during the planning process?
Staff from the Cathedral said the overall application process from start to finish was “remarkably easy going.” The Cathedral staff have built up a positive relationship with people from the local authority, including the lead planning officer and conservation officer. This meant they were able to discuss the plans with them before submission and make any suggested amendments. The main areas of concern from all stakeholders were any alterations to the fabric of the building and making sure that the visual impact of the solar panels was minimised so that the iconic views of the Cathedral remained unchanged.
The Cathedral appointed architects and consultants to produce a heritage impact assessment and proposed designs for the installation of the solar panels. The heritage impact assessment showed that the impact on the views of the Cathedral would be minimal and the designs from the architect and the structural engineer showed the panels would not make any permanent alterations to the structure.
The solar panels were placed on south facing slopes to maximise the amount of energy generated. They were placed where people cannot see them from ground level. Although the solar panels are still visible from some viewpoints in the city, the planning department considered that the impact was minimal as the appearance of the roof simply changed from green to black.
The Cathedral staff explained that having honest, open conversations with everyone involved at the pre- application stage made the process much simpler and easier to navigate. This was because they could act on any advice about the proposals before the applications were submitted. Also, they were able to provide the correct evidence to support the application and to address concerns other stakeholders might have.
The installation process
The local authority granted consent in February 2021 and contractors subsequently installed 206 solar panels. The Cathedral staff commented that collaborating with supportive contractors who understood the building’s historic value, as well as the importance of the conservation process helped make installation easier.
Impact and lessons learned
- The architect ensured that they were able to reduce any physical impacts to the building by making sure the support structure and frame did not change the copper roof covering or wooden roof structure below.
- Structural engineers checked the roof structure was able support the additional loading of the solar panels.
The visual impact of installing solar panels was minimised where possible. - Results from the installation are positive. Newly installed data loggers have recorded initial results showing the carbon benefit of installing the solar panels. The panels generated 31432mWh (a megawatt is the unit for measuring power and is equivalent to one million watts) over the first year which would give an estimated financial saving of £300,000 over the life of the panels.
