Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Murrison and Caroline Spelman

Thursday 17th March 2016 Commons Chamber

[Dr Andrew Murrison (South West Wiltshire) (Con)]

6. What steps the Church Commissioners are taking to increase the sustainable generation of power on the Church estate.

[The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Mrs Caroline Spelman)]

The Church Commissioners are committed to the sustainable generation of power on the Church estate. As of January 2016, over 400 churches and clergy homes were generating electricity from solar panels on their roofs, and both Winchester cathedral and Gloucester cathedral are planning to install solar panels this year.

[Dr Murrison]

Very conveniently, most of our ancient churches are built east-west, which means that there is a southerly elevation that is convenient for photovoltaic generation. What more encouragement will my right hon. Friend give the Church Commissioners to make sure that this important community resource is used to turn our ancient churches from the chilly places they currently are into something more accommodating?

[Mrs Spelman]

My hon. Friend’s question is timely, because it allows all hon. Members to hear that it is possible to put these renewable energy features on listed buildings. Churches have found all sorts of ways of installing renewable energy generation, and the planning authority within the Church, the Faculty, has become much more flexible when it comes to requests to install these renewable energy features.