Discussions about what’s next for St. Mary’s Church

• Mar. 1 by Lakhjit Lotay (2)

The residents of Moseley are in discussion about how to get over the objections that Birmingham City Council have put in place after they discarded the proposed idea of installing solar panels on St Mary’s church in Moseley.

On February the 13^th local City Councillors refused the plans of 42 solar panels to go up on the historic church rooftop.

The Moseley Forum and church have been talking to other churches following there permission for solar panels refused.

The people at St Mary’s church are said to be very unhappy that a good green idea had been rejected after the City Council committee voted against the idea.

Church warden John Dowell said:

“We gained an award from British Gas as being 1 of 14 people in the whole of the U.K. Midland region to promote energy awareness. The solar panels on the roof are a symbol of energy awareness in Moseley.

They said no to us because it is a conservation building, grade 2 listed building which there are rules for what you can and can’t do, any change made has to be approved because it is a grade 2 building.

They plan to put the solar panels on the very top of the building and feel that it would not affect the appearance of the building.

We are generally disappointed, we got so far, but at the last hurdle we got turned down by the city authorities.”

The decision made by the City Councillors is something which has also angered the locals in the Moseley area, which has lead to a few online petitions and forums to get the solar panels which the church desperately wants.