A Grantown church is one step closer to a complete transformation after councillors dramatically disregarded officer recommendations.
Inverallan Church in Grantown is seeking to install solar panels on their roof to mitigate spiralling energy costs.
The church has been battling with council planners to avoid seeing the church “fall into disrepair” since plans were first submitted back in 2021.
Councillors were all in favour of the church’s goals, suggesting the council’s historic environment team “have got to think again”.
Why is the church looking to install solar panels?
The solar panels come as part of a wider application to ease heating bills and open up the church to more than just worship.
The church was hit with a heating bill of over £1,800 in December alone.
As a result, the nearby church hall is currently used as a space for many community groups and classes.
Church elder and project representative Ann Ralston said it is their hope these community events can move into the revamped church.
“It will always be our church” says Ann. “But it’s a shame that such a building sits empty for five to six days a week.
“[Solar panels] would mean it would be used more frequently, which is good for the building.”
What was the issue with the panels?
The church’s listed building status restricts certain developments, which was a source of concern for planners.
The Highland Council historic environment team took issue with the prominence of the solar panels on a ‘front-facing’ roof.
Ann remarked: “York Minster, Edinburgh Castle and Windsor Castle, all buildings much more prominent than ours have been getting solar panels and we could never understand why we couldn’t.”
Councillors contend with council planners
Councillors discussed the application after it was initially refused again by planning officers.
Bill Lobban said: “We have to find ways of making important historic buildings like this viable, or there is a significant danger like others Inverallan church will be abandoned and fall into disrepair.
“The local community are overwhelmingly in support of this application.”
Paul Oldham said the previously accepted renovation plans were “very imaginative” but they could not accept the solar panels at the time.
“We are badly out of step with the rest of the UK. We are in a situation where King’s College in Cambridge, which compared to this building is really top notch in terms of listing, are putting solar panels all the way along their building.
“Why is it not acceptable here?”
Margaret Paterson said Highland Council’s Historic Environment Team “have got to think again because there is churches closing all over.”
Councillors voted unanimously to overturn the planner’s recommendations and grant planning permission.
However, church representative Ann Ralston says the church now needs to seek listed building consent to officially greenlight the proposals.
Inverallan Church ‘absolutely delighted’
Ann said: “We are delighted, absolutely delighted that they have changed their minds and overturned the planners decisions.
“From a community perspective, we really don’t want to see that building fall into disrepair.
“We’d certainly very much like to thank the members of the planning review body for their realistic view of where the building stands and accepting that we needed to do this.”
Ann added there was “no guarantee” a subsequent listed building consent application would be granted but the Inverallan Church project is one step closer to becoming a reality.
A video fly-through of the project can be viewed here.
Conversation