'Hot stuff' - Iconic South Tyneside lighthouse aims to slash carbon emissions with new heating system
A decision on the National Trust plan is expected following a consultation.
One of South Tyneside's most iconic coastal landmarks is being primed for new "sustainable heating systems" to slash carbon emissions.
The application to South Tyneside Council is for the Souter Lighthouse, which was built in 1871 as the world's first purpose-designed to be powered by electricity.
New plans, from the National Trust, are seeking permission for air and ground source heat pumps at the Grade II*-listed visitor attraction to remove mains gas from the site.
An accompanying design and access statement notes the existing heating system is "outdated and carbon intensive" and says new plans align with national and local policies around "supporting the transition to renewable energy and improving energy efficiency in existing buildings".
Proposed works include replacing the lighthouse boiler with a ground source heat pump system, along with two air source heat pump systems linked to holiday cottages within the site, wider upgrades to radiators and works to upgrade electrical supply capacity.
The low-carbon ground source heat pump system would "extract renewable thermal energy from a series of boreholes to be installed on land directly to the north of the site", which would be connected to the lighthouse plant room via underground pipework.
The proposals aim to provide "efficient heating for the lighthouse, reducing reliance on conventional fossil fuel-based heating systems".
Meanwhile, air source heat pumps for the holiday cottages would provide "dedicated low-carbon heating and hot water provision for the accommodation".
The application claims that the "sustainable heating systems" would save in the region of 26 tonnes of carbon per year while also enhancing the long-term sustainability of the lighthouse and "ensuring its continued use and preservation".
The design and access statement goes on: "The heritage impact assessment submitted alongside this application concludes that the proposal is appropriate to its setting and would preserve the significance of the site and surrounding heritage assets.
"The assessment finds that the proposals would result in no substantial harm, with any limited impacts appropriately mitigated and outweighed by the public benefits associated with the scheme."
Applicants added the development would "serve as a demonstration project for integrating renewable energy into historic and coastal settings" and had been designed to "minimise visual, acoustic and ecological impacts."
A decision on the plan is expected following a consultation.
For more information, visit the council's planning portal website and search for reference 260584.
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