A plan to fit solar panels on a Lancashire council’s HQ in Clitheroe would save more than £1million in energy costs over 25 years and cut its emissions by one fifth, councillors are being told.

Solar panels proposed for Ribble Valley Council offices could impact on the wider townscape setting which has a number of historic listed buildings. But any visual impact would not be significant, planning officers believe.

Ribble Valley Council has submitted the application to councillors on its own planning committee this week, seeking permission to fit more than 100 panels at its Church Walk offices in Clitheroe.

In general, a planning report says the council has a policy to support renewable energy schemes, providing developments will not cause unacceptable harm to a local environment or people’s amenity.

The council office is in the official Clitheroe conservation area and the application is considered to affect the setting of a number of grade II listed buildings.  The buildings are numbers 1, 3 and 5 Church Street, the White Lion Hotel, Mytton house and numbers 13 and 15 Church Street.

But using renewable energy technology will contribute to cutting the borough’s carbon emissions . A solar panel system will provide the offices with just under 21 per cent self-sufficiency in energy, avoiding 13,784 kg per year of CO2 emissions. It is also expected to save £1,042,898 of public money over 25 years that would otherwise be spent on power from the national grid.

A report for councillors says the planning system has a presumption in favour of conserving and enhancing historic buildings and areas of towns. The solar panels would be fitted on the north-west, south-west and south-east (inward facing) roof slopes of the offices. Those on the south-west and north-west facing slopes are more visible to the public.

The council building, put up in the 1970s following local government changes in 1974, is not considered to be part of the historic fabric of Clitheroe’s conservation area. It has a more modern construction and appearance, which mitigates the likely visual impact of the solar panels being introduced into that area of Clitheroe, the report adds.

Overall, planning officers are recommending councillors to approve the panels. They say the plan will not result in any ‘significant adverse impacts’ or conflict with the council’s core aims that would justify refusal.