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A Carmarthenshire green energy firm owner has been forced to take down solar panels from his barn – after it was decided they detracted from a listed building opposite.

Bobby Bazalgette, who runs his own renewable energy business and describes renewable energy as his life’s work, owns a listed building which has an unlisted barn opposite.

He was working to restore both buildings and as part of a project to make it as low-carbon as possible spent almost £20,000 putting solar panels on the roof of the barn.

But after the panels had been up for two years he was told he needed to take them down.

'I feel depressed and angry

“I put the panels on as part of a major investment in the house to make it habitable and reduce the carbon footprint,” said Mr Bazalgette, who owns firm Solarwheel Ltd.

“I thought I would not need planning permission because the panels are not on the listed house. After two years, I was told I should have had listed consent, so I applied and it was refused.”

Carmarthenshire council said permission was refused because the panels were “harmful to the character of a listed building”, stating it detracted from the structure opposite.

Mr Bazalgette took down the panels – but believes that the exposed tin roof of the barn is not an improvement.

“I feel depressed and angry every time I look at the roof without the panels,” the businessman said. “I received many hundreds of messages of support from people who know this house, and none of them can understand why this has been done to us.

“I feel that I have let those people down by taking the panels off, I think they assumed I would fight it or find some way to keep them.”

Aside from the principle, Mr Bazalgette says there will be serious financial implications for him – and not just the cost of the panels.

(Image: WOS)

He said: “The electric panels made 3,300 units per year, so our electricity bill will increase by about £595 per year.

“The solar thermal panels produced hot water for us in the summer so that the boiler didn’t run at all for almost six months of the year. I calculate this will mean having to pay an additional £600 per year in fuel costs for hot water. This will add £1,1950 per year to our energy bills.”

He added: “Our investment of almost £20,000 has been trashed.”

'No further action'

Carmarthenshire council’s head of planning Llinos Quelch said: “The site in question was one where retrospective consent was not given for the installation of solar panels on the roof of an ancillary building within the curtilage of a grade II-listed building.

“Following the service of an enforcement notice to secure the removal of the panels, the owner appealed to the Planning Inspectorate. The decision of the county council was upheld at appeal by the independent inspector, and the requirements of the notice ratified. This reinforced the conclusion reached over the inappropriate siting of the panels within this listed environment.

“Since that time, the county council corresponded with the owner to secure compliance with the notice, including the potential for court action should this not occur.

“Following a recent site meeting, the county council noted that the panels have now been removed from the barn that is included within the listing as a curtilage structure. As a result, no further action, including any court consideration, is required.

“Notwithstanding this, the county council remains committed to providing appropriate expert advice to any person wishing to undertake works on listed buildings, or in conservation areas.”