Bridport's mayor has called for a ‘radical rethink’ in council planning policy after a popular bakery announced its closure citing, amongst other reasons, the refusal of solar panels.

As reported in the Bridport News last week, Leakers Bakery on East Street will shut for good tomorrow.

In a statement, the bakery said: "Sadly the current climate of escalating costs puts us in a position of uncertainty. In tandem with rising costs of raw ingredients, our energy costs particularly are unsustainable – our plans for solar panels were not allowed (conservation) and any heat reclamation has been ruled out in our old building.”

Bridport and Lyme Regis News:

  • Leakers will close tomorrow   Picture: Jennifer Mulcahey

Mayor of Bridport, Cllr Ian Bark, said he was ‘deeply saddened’ by the news of the closure, adding that the bakery will be ‘sorely missed by many, many local people and visitors alike.’

In his blog, Cllr Bark said: “Leakers has fallen victim to the current cost of living and energy crises we are facing. The ever-rising cost of raw materials, wheat in particular, and escalating energy costs are the main reasons given for the decision to close.

"With regard to energy costs, Leakers applied to install solar panels as a means of reducing their energy costs. Disappointingly, the planning application was rejected by Dorset Council.

Bridport and Lyme Regis News:

  • Bridport Mayor Cllr Ian Bark

"Dorset Council has declared a climate emergency and sadly all too often, people who are trying their best to upgrade their homes and businesses to make them more energy efficient and habitable are being thwarted by the same Dorset Council, in its role as planning authority, applying outdated and very often subjective criteria and judgements to applications.

"Just because a building is listed or in a conservation area does not mean it should not be upgraded and made fit for life in the twenty-first century. With regard to the installation of solar panels, I cannot think of any good reason to reject their installation even on a Grade 1 listed building. Based on the current interpretation being used by Dorset Council, there are 461 Grade 2 listed buildings in Bridport that would, in all likelihood, find an application to install solar panels rejected. In this day and age, this is no longer acceptable.

"Partly as a consequence of these wildly outdated attitudes towards the installation of solar panels, Bridport is about to lose a much-loved traditional bakery that is very much in the spirit of what makes the town’s high street such a dynamic place for residents and visitors alike.

"It is time for a radical rethink in the Planning department at Dorset Council. It is time to put people and the environment first, preserving our heritage where we can, but not to the disadvantage of our residents and the planet."

The News has received a number of letters on the subject with residents coming out in support of Leakers.

Professor David Lines said: "What delicious irony: at the same time as Bridport celebrates ‘Dorset Greener Homes’, it laments the closure of Leakers, a fine and respected business, caused in part by the refusal of planners to allow solar panels on its roof."

"We can demonstrate our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint."

Mike Garrity, head of planning at Dorset Council, said: “Conservation of the historic environment is not a barrier to addressing climate change and is itself a key objective of sustainable development in national policy. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, balancing our statutory duty to protect our nationally important heritage with our efforts to tackle the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

"Conservation officers are supportive of innovative solutions which preserve Dorset’s rich cultural heritage and help with action on the climate emergency. As part of our ongoing collaborative and constructive approach to climate change.

"Given that the Dorset Council area generated 340,000 megawatt hours of renewable electricity last year (2021), an increase of 115% since records began in 2014 and enough to supply over 100,000 homes with power, we can demonstrate our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint. At the same time listed buildings make up only 2% of the entire building stock nationally, so the aim of tackling the climate and ecological emergency need not conflict with our statutory responsibility to conserve heritage assets.”