By John Baron
Bosses at Bramley Baths have applied to install 181 solar panels across six roofs at the Grade II Listed Edwardian building.
It’s hoped the solar panels will help the Baths, which are community led, reduce its electricity usage by 30 per cent as the facility bids to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Chief executive David Wilford said: “It’s all part of our ongoing efforts to reduce our carbon footprint, as well as bringing down our electricity bills.
“We are here to preserve the character of this Grade II listed asset, all works will be undertaken with minimal disruption – most of the panels won’t be visible from the roadside, with some sitting on more recent extensions.”
A heritage statement submitted by the Baths with the planning application said: “The installation of the proposed Solar PV system will greatly help in the continuous rise in energy bills and help pay towards the running costs of such a beautiful building.
“In conclusion, we feel the development will not adversely affect the character or appearance of the property, streetscape, or surrounding area. The materials and design are consistent with solar panels that are installed elsewhere around Leeds, and we are sympathetic to the wider locality, intentionally preserving the local character and visual amenity.
“The proposal will not impact neighbouring properties through overshadowing or dominance.”
The plans can be viewed in full here.
Work on repairing the gable end of the Baths is due to begin in the next couple of weeks.
Earlier this month Bramley Baths launched a community share issue in a bid to raise £350,000 to future-proof its Grade II-Listed Edwardian building. It also celebrated its 120th birthday.
lazy writing , its it is rooves not roofs
Hi – many thanks for your comment. We did check this and it would seem there are a number of options, with “roofs” being the most modern version. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) lists “roofs” as the standard plural form of the word “roof”, while “rooves” is listed as an alternative but outdated version.
John, editor
I’m in my late 50’s and I have never seen the word “rooves” used. Even here in this comment box, for me it has been highlighted as a spelling mistake.