Can heritage and technology co-exist ?

Business folk are generally decent people, who are keen to do the right thing by their staff, customers and the wider community. So, they are usually mindful of the green agenda and aim to do their best to reduce emissions when they can. It’s also good for their reputation and it trims costs.

But, there is a bewildering array of factors to be navigated which makes “doing the right thing” no easy matter.

For example, installing solar panels seems to be a no brainer. The technology is reliable, the costs and returns are now fairly predictable and there is a lot of roof space available. However, as we’ve seen recently, there are regularly opponents of some schemes because of the visual impact the panels make. Sometimes that involves City centre installations, on other occasions it a proposal to cover a field with panels on the outskirts.

And there we have the dilemma for the City of Bath and its World Heritage setting in a nutshell. The apparent incompatibility between old and new. Many people living or working in listed buildings also want to reduce their energy use by installing things like double glazing or heat pumps, but they frequently fall foul of planning regulations which prevent them from doing so.

It’s a real headache for councillors and officers who are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They are eager to do all they can to help people who want to embrace the latest equipment but the last thing they want is to stand accused of wrecking the look of the place.

I’m sure the producers of Bridgerton would have something to say about an outbreak of solar panels in Great Pulteney Street. I’m not being facetious, it’s actually a serious point, because TV and film exposure attracts tourists and their spending power is a real benefit to the local economy.

Surely, it must be possible to square the circle and allow businesses and residents to make the most of energy efficient installations whilst preserving the beautiful and historic environment ? We are blessed with so many creative minds that I would bet they could come up with inventive solutions if they were drawn into this debate. I am confident businesses would be keen to participate and produce a bespoke pattern book for Bath. It could be ground breaking and would be great for the whole community.