Anger erupts over solar panels plans for roof of King’s College Chapel in Cambridge

It’s one in every of Britain’s most spectacular buildings, having survived Oliver Cromwell and two world wars unscathed.

However now King’s School Chapel in Cambridge might have misplaced its iconic look amid controversial plans to plaster its roof with a whole bunch of photo voltaic panels.

The fifteenth century gothic chapel’s lead roof is presently being changed and whereas the scaffolding is in place the faculty plans so as to add 492 panels, which is able to produce 105,000 kWh of power per 12 months.

However opposition is already flooding in earlier than its utility is taken into account by the Higher Cambridge Shared Planning committee in the beginning of subsequent month.

Roof repairs: King’s School Chapel with scaffolding whereas the lead roof is now being changed

Historic England beneficial the plans be rejected, saying the panels can be misplaced within the Grade-I-listed chapel, which hosts annual Christmas and Easter companies broadcast by the BBC, and will likely 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 concerning the glare from the panels affecting its operations. The Society for the Safety of Historic Buildings mentioned: ‘Whereas we assist the precept of the proposal, we don’t take into account the justification for the injury brought about to be sufficiently sturdy on this case.’

Locals are additionally in opposition to the plan. Dave Harrison mentioned: ‘You would not put it within the Taj Mahal or the Pantheon.’

However a planning assertion despatched to native council officers mentioned: ‘The school totally understands the heritage significance of the chapel as custodians of the constructing since its development in 1441. alternative to create works that … will assist the faculty reply to the challenges of local weather change.’

King’s School didn’t reply to a request for remark.