Date updated: Thursday 4th May 2023
Churches and places of worship seeking to implement the Church of England’s Routemap to Net Zero Carbon by 2030 will be encouraged by the recent successful applications to install solar panels on the roofs of King’s College, Cambridge, and York Minster.
In this article, Senior Associate Frances Godden considers the impact of these decisions for churches wishing to contribute towards the reversal of climate change.
THE ROUTEMAP TO NET ZERO CARBON
In response to the global climate emergency, the Church of England’s ruling body, General Synod, voted in February 2020 for the entire church to achieve net zero carbon by 2030. In response, a plan of action known as the ‘Routemap’ was drawn up, approved in July 2022, and a motion passed requiring every diocesan synod to debate it as it applied to them, and requested high energy users within the Church to create bespoke plans of action based on the Routemap.
Resources including milestones, and guidance on how to achieve them, have been developed by the Church of England to assist cathedrals, churches, dioceses, schools and theological training institutions in this mission.
THE FACULTY JURISDICTION
All PCCs and Churchwardens will know the general rule that no works should take place in relation to a church building without the relevant permission having been obtained, usually in the form of a faculty or the archdeacon’s consent under List B provided certain requirements are met. In response to the Routemap, targeted amendments have been made to the Faculty Jurisdiction Rules 2015 to enable churches and parishes greater flexibility when considering how best to approach the challenge of climate change. These changes, introduced in February 2022, focus on three main areas:
- A requirement to have “due regard” to the Church’s net zero guidance;
- The need for consultation before starting faculty proceedings in this area; and
- Additions to projects permitted to be undertaken without a faculty (Lists A and B).
These amendments provide focus and clarity for parishes considering matters such as insulation, lighting, boilers, electric vehicle charging, and renewable energy. In particular, List B has been enlarged to enable solar panels to be installed on a church which is not a listed building or in a conservation area without a faculty. However, the majority of our historic churches are listed and/or in conservation areas, meaning that sometimes planning permission will be required alongside a faculty.
Whilst it may feel like a daunting prospect, the installation and use of solar panels on church roofs can have a significant impact on the quest for net zero carbon, and an increasing number of applications for their installation are being made each year. Early engagement with local communities, Historic England, local planning and conservation officers as well as the DAC and amenity societies is crucial. The Church Heritage Record is seeking to create a live, up-to-date map of all churches successfully switching to renewable energy, so it may be helpful for churches considering making this change to get in touch with other churches locally who have already been through the process, to share ideas and advice.
GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE
In addition, there is a huge wealth of resources available via the Church of England’s Church Care webpages, including webinars and specific guidance on solar panels, produced in conjunction with Historic England. The guidance also outlines the process of applying for a faculty to install solar panels, and encourages all parishes wishing to explore this option to contact their diocesan church buildings team or DAC secretary at an early stage to help develop proposals so that they have the best chance of achieving the best outcome for their church.
The environmental impact (‘embodied carbon’*) of the installation itself should be considered and weighed against the clean electricity produced (‘operational carbon’) to estimate – at least roughly – when the panels will pay back from an environmental perspective. The installer will be able to help calculate this information.” |
All applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Even where proposals are controversial and locally opposed, there is still a chance of success if the application is well-designed and well-prepared, the relevant consultations undertaken in full, and the evidence and data in respect of energy efficiency and the net zero target compelling. The guidance itself states:
RECENT SUCCESS STORIES
In February 2023, the Chancellor of the Diocese of Ely granted permission for 500 panels to be installed on the roof of King’s College, Cambridge – arguably the city’s most iconic and recognisable building (and which, unlike many of the other college chapels, is subject to the faculty jurisdiction).
As part of its policy on climate change, to reduce its carbon footprint, the College wished to place solar panels on both the north and south sides of the Chapel roof. The main arguments of the consultees against the proposal were that the panels would be partially visible through the parapet tracery from a few viewpoints. The Church Building Council also questioned whether panels on the north side of the roof could generate enough energy to justify them. The Chancellor was satisfied that the scheme would benefit the College and would help it towards reaching its net zero target. He determined that he would grant a faculty for solar panels on both sides of the roof, or on the south side only, dependent upon an updated assessment of the potential carbon payback for the north roof and calculations and observations as to the effect on the structure without an identical weight on the north roof, were the eventual decision to allow for solar panels on the south roof only. The assessment should be produced within 28 days and provided to the DAC and other bodies who had been involved in the process, such assessment to be produced within 28 days and then submitted to the consultees for comment within a further 21 days. |
The Ecclesiastical Law Association summarised the contents of the Judgment succinctly:
Whilst the results of the assessment have yet to be published, those involved with considering solar panel installation on ecclesiastical buildings will be heartened by the sympathetic and constructive approach taken by the authorities in this matter.
More recently, plans to install panels on the roof of York Minster have also been approved by the City of York Council and the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England. These aim to generate 75,000 kilowatt-hours of power annually, which will meet the energy needs of the cathedral daily as well as enable battery storage to power evening services and events.
USEFUL LINKS AND ADVICE
If you require any further legal advice relating to issues raised in this article, please feel free to contact Frances Godden, Senior Associate in our Charities and Ecclesiastical teams by telephone 01223 612084 / 07866 030115 or email FrancesGodden@stoneking.co.uk.
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