Putney Conservation Area Solar Panel Scheme Refused
Applicant wanted to install ten panels on house roof
The house on Putney Park Road that was the subject of the application. Picture: Facebook
May 12, 2023
Plans to install ten solar panels on the roof of a house in the Dover House Estate conservation area have been turned down by council officers, who state they would be "harmful to the character and appearance of the building".
Applicant Peter Miarowski has been refused permission by Wandsworth Council to install the ten panels on the south and west roof slopes of the end terrace property in Putney Park Lane.
The council case officer said a compromise could be achieved by only allowing the panels on the back (west-facing) sloped roof. "In this position, the impact on the street scene and visual integrity of the conservation area would be lessened," he said.
A Heritage Statement submitted to Wandsworth planners alongside the application stated that the house involved was part of the Dover House Estate, which was created as a "model estate" to relieve the pressure to find for 'Homes Fit For Heroes' after World War One.
The intention of London County Council when it planned the 1,200 houses in 1919 was to provide a self-contained community with a sense of "intimacy and individuality", with access to open spaces. The first tenants were civil servants, teachers and bus drivers.
Since then, the Heritage Statement says, homes on the estate have been modernised - including the introduction of double-glazed windows, roof insulation and electric heating.
Applicant Mr Miarowski decided to install solar panels in the face of "drastically" rising electricity prices and to reduce pollution, the statement continued.
"The only downside is that the panels will cover most of the roof tiles. The south-facing panels have a minor effect on the site because at some angles they become visible for the person walking on the road", it admitted.
But the council officer took a delegated decision to refuse the application. "The side roof slope is highly visible from the street due to the orientation of the house and the gap between the terrace in Laneway. Fitting PV panels to this elevation would be insensitive and inappropriate and would cause harm to the character and appearance of the house and the street scene in this part of the Dover House Estate Conservation Area.
"These panels would to a large degree obscure the roof tiles, visually dominating the roof and significantly changing the appearance of the house”, he said.
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