A WHITCHURCH supermarket has applied to install more than 800 solar panels on its roof, in plans submitted to Shropshire Council.

Sainsbury’s, in London Road, submitted plans to the authority on Monday, August 5 for around 834 panels to be placed on top of the building’s flat roof.

The supermarket is one of the biggest in Whitchurch.

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An application form, submitted by Adam Peat on behalf of the supermarket giants, set out what the proposal is.

It said: “Installation of a 355.3kWp solar PV system, on a flat roof, to produce low carbon renewable energy for the site.

“In order to comply with permitted development rules; the solar PV array equipment will not come within one metre of the external building edges and they will not protrude more than one metre beyond the plane of the flat roof.

“The solar PV system will be arranged in accordance with the proposed plans. This system will reduce 72 tonnes of CO2e carbon annually.”

The application is gauge whether prior planning approval is needed from Shropshire Council.

A roof plan design, included within the application, set out further details.

It said: “The solar PV equipment will be, so far as practicable, be sited so as to minimise its effect on the external appearance of the building and the amenity of the area.

“The solar panels would be visible from certain heights.

“However, it would not be prominently visible from the public realm or street level due to the area is shielded from view by; offset distance from external roof edge, height of building & rooftop parapet.

“Solar panels are designed to absorb light as much as possible for efficiency reasons. Solar panels have at least one layer of anti-reflective coating to reduce light reflection.

“The chosen solar panels are dark in colour to absorb light and have anti-reflection technology - which minimises any potential glare.

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“Given basic light reflectivity assumptions, the angle of reflected light is most likely to be directed sufficiently skyward.

“The solar PV equipment will be removed as soon as reasonably practicable when no longer needed.”

A decision date for the application is as-of-yet unknown.