68 solar panels to be installed on Harting community hall roof after new plans approved

Alongside plans to install the roof-mounted solar panels which, it is hoped, will make the community hall more environmentally friendly, the council has also approved plans for two electric charge points, a bicycle rack and an indoor heat pump.

A design and access statement, submitted alongside the plans themselves, lay out the reasons for improving the facility, which hosts everything from parish council meetings to a popular pre-school: “The Hall like many community buildings, faces ongoing problems to remain sustainable in the current economic situation,” the statement reads. “ The costs, in particular, of electricity, have proved to be a considerable challenge. The village has a strong community and they are looking to find ways to tackle the problems of keeping the doors of the Hall open to as many users as possible, while also efficiently covering rising costs.”

In some ways, this raft of upgrades is a means of saving the community hall for the population itself; future proofing it with a range of cost-effective measures designed to increase overheads and shore-up sources of income. “The Pre-school is itself at risk in the sense that it’s running costs and in particular the cost of electricity, are presenting sizeable challenges that threaten its ongoing viability,” the statement says. “To lose this valuable community resource would be a great loss to the village. Not only in terms of parents losing their Pre-school but also four people would lose their means of employment and the village a much used and loved venue.”