Helping clients to go green despite opposition

How do we respond to climate change? As landscape architects we have an important role to play and part of our job is to challenge local authorities and their planning departments.

We’re all being encouraged to go electric with our cars, to add solar panels to our roofs and to install ground source or air source heat pumps in place of gas boilers.

But how do we future proof the energy requirements of historic buildings or properties in sensitive landscapes or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, of which there are many across the UK?

Most local authorities would object to an array of solar panels being fitted to the roof of a Grade 1 listed building, for example, and we have seen numerous instances of planning applications being refused because the proposed energy solution is perceived as unsightly.

At some point, there’s going to have to be a change of view, because it is possible to have a balance.

So much has changed in building design and solutions such as solar panels are no longer the ugly duckling of renewable energy.  

At Land Studio we do love these challenges. We’ve been working on a new build project which has faced planning disputes around installing renewables and we’re in the early stages of working on a number of Landscape Visual Impact Assessments for solar farms in sensitive landscapes in Wales.

We have great experience of working on challenging sites like this and can present the detailed context for a planning submission to provide an argument for the installation of renewable energy schemes within our landscape. They often prove invaluable when it comes to getting approval.

Do get in touch if you have a challenging project you’d like our help with.