The green credentials of Westmorland and Furness Council’s £8.3m refurbishment of Voreda House in Penrith have been questioned after the revelation that the unitary authority is now seeking to install an on-site generator.
A planning application for a proposed storage shed, generator base, fencing and landscaping at the council offices in Portland Place was debated at a meeting of Penrith Town Council’s planning committee on Monday.
In October last year, Voreda House became the first retrofit council office building in the UK to secure a PassivHaus EnerPHit certification for its air tightness and thermal efficiency, achieved through insulation, ventilation and heat retention.
Town mayor Doug Lawson said Westmorland and Furness Council had spent what seemed like forever building and renovating Voreda House to make it reach PassivHaus standard and now they were planning on putting a large steel shed in the car park, along with a generator.
“I just feel like we are moving backwards. I find it very frustrating that they are going to have what is probably, I am assuming, a diesel generator to power a building that is supposed to be self-sufficient and saving money,” said Mr Lawson.
Town councillor Charlie Shepherd said the plan indicated a proposal for a large generator base (15ft by 6.6ft), which would be separate from the shed.
“People need a shed and they need to store stuff in a cheaper environment per cubic foot than this very expensive PassivHaus building and a shed does not need to be PassivHaus,” said Mr Shepherd.
However, he added: “My concern would be that if they did have to bring an emergency generator in, what about the noise for all the people around about?
“It is a residential area. If a generator was ever deployed it would have to be of the highest degree of insulation.”
Scott Jackson, chairman of the town council’s planning committee, said the application should be viewed as if it was for a generator, not just a base for one. He also asked: “Is this included in the footprint calculations of PassivHaus?”
In its response to Westmorland and Furness Council’s proposal, Penrith Town Council’s planning committee requested that, when required, the quietest possible generator should be deployed, in order to reduce possible noise emissions and preserve the amenity of people living in the area.
In addition, screening and landscaping of the area must be appropriate and in character with the area, the town council said.
A spokesman for Westmorland and Furness Council said: “The generator is needed purely as an emergency back-up in the event of a power outage affecting the area and impacting the services our teams deliver on behalf of the public.
“An existing wall and additional landscaping would minimise its visibility.
“And we would endeavour to keep any additional noise from its very occasional operation to a minimum — by installing the generator in a weather-proof acoustic enclosure.”
