Alexandra Palace is set to become more environmentally friendly with the installation of solar panels on the boathouse, while the Alexandra Park Sports Club will get new shutters. The Alexandra Palace and Park Consultative Committee discussed the plans at a meeting on Monday.
Alexandra Palace aims to Build Climate Change Resilience
by actively responding to the climate change emergency
and striving to take the Palace off grid within a generation, lessening our impact on the environment, reducing our energy consumption and harnessing the parkland to build climate resilience.
The solar panels are part of a broader effort to improve the park's sustainability and contribute to these goals by reducing energy consumption and promoting sustainable energy sources. The panels will be installed on the flat roof of the boathouse to generate electricity for the café and the boathouse itself. According to a heritage statement included in the Public Reports Pack, the proposal supports long-term sustainability and energy efficiency.
The heritage statement notes that:
The proposal supports long-term sustainability and energy efficiency in a manner that is sensitive to local character and historic significance. The PV panels will provide a renewable energy source for the café and Boathouse, supporting their continued community use while aligning with Alexandra Palace's wider environmental goals.
The Alexandra Park Club is also planning to replace the shutters on the pavilion and add their club logo. The designs, which are available as Appendix 1 - sports pavilion shutter designs, require advertising consent. The Alexandra Palace and Park Consultative Committee was asked to provide comment on applications relating to the solar panels, secondary glazing, and shutters.
These projects are part of a broader effort by Alexandra Palace to improve its sustainability and enhance the park for visitors. Other initiatives include meadow cutting and wetland improvements. Contractors have created a raised footpath alongside new ponds in the wetland area. The new ditches were full of water during heavy rain in early September, and the leaky dams were working well, slowing the flow and holding the water back.
