For traditionalists, the unveiling of the first of 438 solar panels on the roof of King’s College chapel in Cambridge may have been a dark day.
Historic England objected strongly to the planning application for the panels on the lead roof of the English gothic masterpiece, warning of irreparable damage to an “exceptionally significant building”. Cambridge city council’s planning officer argued that the PV panels – with the potential to generate 123,000kWh of electricity a year – would erode the “authenticity and integrity” of this “historically iconic medieval building”.
