this is just down the road from me. crazy!!
David Forster has been ordered by Broadland District Council to take down solar panels from the Grade II listed building in Cawston.
A council is forcing an environmentalist to remove the solar panels from his house just weeks after local government pledged to promote the development of eco-friendly buildings.
David Forster, from Oulton Broad, installed the solar cells on the roof of the water tower he was converting back in 2005.
And because they were not visible from the road and did not alter the structure of the distinctive 10-sided Grade II listed building in Cawston, near Aylsham, he did not inform the council.
But when the documentary charting his mission of transforming the disused tower into a family home aired on Channel 5, council members saw what he had done.
Mr Forster said: “It genuinely didn’t occur to me that I would need permission for the solar panels.
“It makes no difference to the view, they can only be seen from the air.
“Even then I’ve had all this information from them about going green, and they’ve been running these campaigns about conserving energy, so why object to this?”
As soon as he received the letter from Broadland District Council he appealed the decision, which has now been rejected.
And when an inspector visited the site to assess the situation, he did so without Mr Forster’s knowledge.
Mr Forster said: “I understand the council’s position. They are trying to protect a building.
“But I’m not destroying or ruining it I’m trying to balance history with the future.
“I think it’s important to try and do our own little bit to help, which is proving difficult if the council is going to stand in our way.”
He has worked out that by removing the £5,000 solar panels he will now emit almost three-quarters of a tonne of carbon into the atmosphere a year.
Earlier this month, council leaders agreed to work on a joint plan to consider how they could promote energy management and mobility and the development of eco-friendly buildings after they came under fire for failing to act more quickly on the issue.
And North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb, who has solar panels himself, has previously accused councils of “an unacceptable level of complacency” when it comes to energy saving.
A council spokesman said: “Broadland District Council was, in this instance, following Government guidelines and has refused permission because of the adverse impact on the listed building.
“We actively encourage Broadland residents to think about their energy use, but planning permission may be required for such equipment and we would therefore advise anyone considering installing such technology to contact the council’s planning service before committing themselves.”
Mr Forster said: “When are they going to start doing something? When water is lapping around our feet?”
