Scarborough’s Sea Life Centre will install a new roof and almost 150 solar panels to help reduce “significant” energy costs.
Merlin Entertainments’ proposal to improve the sustainability and energy efficiency of the Scarborough Sea Life And Marine Sanctuary has been approved by North Yorkshire Council.
In addition to 147 solar panels, new metal walkways will also be installed on the roof to allow for continuing maintenance of the installed solar panel system.
Planning officers said that the “exact details of the financial implications of providing energy to be able to continually operate an aquarium and marine life sanctuary have not been presented”.
However, they noted that “the scale of the building coupled with its year-round operation, as well as the increased energy costs in recent years, are likely to be significant”.
It comes almost 12 months after the operator of Scarborough’s Alpamare water park, Benchmark Leisure, went into administration in part due to rising energy costs.
According to submitted plans, the existing metal roof of the main building is currently in a “poor cosmetic condition” with visible corrosion on the roof sheeting which is “likely due to the age of the building and also the coastal location of the site”.
The Sea Life Centre with its distinctive pyramid design is located in the North Bay of the town and was built in the 1990s.
Over the past two decades, it has had investment in new attractions within the aquarium and surrounding outdoor space, as well as becoming a marine life sanctuary, according to a planning report.
The report notes that the roof exterior has "reached the end of its life”, having become “visibly dilapidated and in need of an overhaul”.
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Plans submitted by Merlin Entertainments state that while the installation of the solar panels would not produce enough electricity to meet the building’s energy requirements completely, they will “help to meet part of this”.
This will be alongside the thermal upgrades to the building’s roof which are also set to reduce energy consumption.
Some concerns were initially raised about the visual impact of the installation of the solar panels on the south-facing sides of the roof, especially when viewed from Royal Albert Drive and Marine Drive.
The planning authority acknowledged that the panels would “alter the appearance of the building at a distance”.
However, it concluded that the changes would not be harmful to the character of the area.
North Yorkshire Council approved the changes to the “well-regarded tourist attraction” subject to conditions.
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