Residents of Chapelton are fighting “bizarre and obtuse” local rules that restrict installation of solar panels on many homes — because of how the technology would impact the town’s overall look.
The newly-created town of Chapelton just west of Newtonhill in Aberdeenshire is currently home to around 750 residents, but there are long-term plans for up to 8,000 houses to be developed.
Chapelton, which is built on land owned by the Duke of Fife, has special rules in place for what can be built where in order to maintain a consistent design.
These restrictions include a ban on solar panels facing onto Chapelton’s main roads and squares.
Solar panel restrictions in Chapelton dubbed ‘slightly crazy’
Alastair Struthers moved into his new build home on Greenlaw Road, which runs through the middle of Chapelton, in 2015.
He’s been told he can’t install the eco-friendly technology on the south-facing roof of his house — where it would be most efficient for sunlight — because it faces onto a main route in the town.
Alastair’s petition for a policy change to allow himself and others to install solar panels where they please attracted more than 100 signatures — but the Chapelton Community Interest Company, which is in charge of many of the rules for Chapelton, hasn’t budged.
He said: “The landowners in Chapelton have ultimate control over how the town looks.
“One of the rules says you can’t have solar panels on the forward-facing elevation of a house on a primary road or square.
“So properties across the road from mine can put solar panels on their south-facing roofs, but we can’t, because the south side of our house faces the main road.
“It seems like a slightly crazy reason, and I challenged them on why this is the case, and they told me they’re not going to review or change it.
“I asked them if it’s purely for aesthetic reasons, and they came back to me in black and white and said yes, it’s purely for the design of the town.”
Alastair says he was told he could put solar panels in his garden or on his garage roof, but argued that he shouldn’t have to give up his green space, and the garage wouldn’t be as effective a position for capturing sunlight.
He says he’s even more frustrated with the situation because walking through Chapelton, it’s apparent that many other homes that aren’t located on primary routes do in fact have solar panels on their roofs.
“We desperately want to reduce our carbon footprint, so it’s a no-brainer from my point of view,” he said.
“And with the cost of living going up, and gas and electricity costing a fortune, it would be quite nice to offset some of that cost in an environmentally-friendly way.”
‘They’re modern homes, so they should be equipped with modern technology’ says MSP
Alastair said various people have asked him why he doesn’t just ignore the rules and “chuck the panels on the roof and see what happens”.
“I want to challenge the policy itself for the benefit of the rest of the town,” explained Alastair.
“This doesn’t just affect me, it affects the rest of the community and all future houses.
“Chapelton has a masterplan for 8,000 houses, so it’s a big, long-term plan.
“It’s really important we get this sorted now.”
Maggie Chapman, north-east regional Green MSP, has backed Alastair in his call for relaxing the solar panel rules in Chapelton.
She believes new communities like Chapelton should be leading the way in terms of what she thinks future Scottish towns should look like.
The MSP said: “As a society, we need to be very clear — what are our principles of good design for towns, villages and communities?”
“Surely renewable, sustainable energy should be embedded as part of that?
“If there’s a notion that solar panels are aesthetically displeasing, well, with the new design of solar panels, they can fit in very well.
“Quite frankly we need to reassess our priorities about what we value over other things.
“We’re quite happy to have cars parked outside our houses and buildings, bins on our streets, but not solar panels on roofs.
“I think it’s bizarre and obtuse, and runs counter to what most people would consider important in the 21st century.”
She said she could understand complaints about solar panels or other modern technology used in areas with historic architecture.
“But Chapelton is a new development,” she argued.
“It’s not like there are significantly historically important buildings or homes here, they’re new, modern homes, so they should be equipped with new, modern energy efficient technology.”
Find out what the Duke of Fife has to say about the restrictions in Chapelton here:
Duke of Fife defends Chapelton solar panel restrictions after residents speak out
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