Town supermarket set for hundreds of solar panels
GoogleA supermarket has been given the go-ahead to install more than 800 solar panels as part of a wider net-zero commitment.
Morrisons previously announced ambitions to be the first supermarket to own and operate its own solar farm across sites and stores.
It plans to install 858 panels at its Doxford Park store after Sunderland City Council approved the scheme.
Council planners said the design of the scheme was acceptable and that there would be "no substantial harm to the amenity of the area".
A council decision report said the electrical generation capacity of the system would "not exceed one megawatt (MW) but does exceed the 50kw microgeneration threshold".
Although the council's environmental health team did not respond to a consultation request, planners ruled the proposal would "not compromise residential amenity", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
'Majority of roof'
A proposed site plan showed solar panels arranged across the majority of the store's roof space, apart from at an area nearest the customer car park and a small section of roof space to the rear of the supermarket.
The site plan said these areas would not have panels fitted because of the "risk of cracking bulkhead and internal walls".
Highways Authority assessed the proposal and raised no objection in relation to highway safety, the council said.