Sir – It is a shame that Friends of Old Headington cannot see that solar panels far from being an ‘eyesore’ are the future for local, sustainable energy generation in the 21st century (Solar panels to be removed after complaints, March 12).

According to your article, the council “spoke to residents’ groups” before agreeing to remove the panels, but there are many local groups who were not consulted, including other local residents’ associations and Low-Carbon Headington. The panels face south and east over Bury Knowle Park, so it is the users of the park (who come from all over Headington and beyond) who might glimpse the panels, and then only from certain corners of the park as they are well screened by trees even in winter. We now understand that the council will leave the panels in place and we strongly welcome this decision, which is in line with city and county carbon-reduction policies. No opportunity for sustainable energy microgeneration on public buildings should be wasted if we are to have a hope of keeping global warming below 2C. Removing the panels would have sent the message that the council was not really serious about Oxford’s contribution to this target.

Mary Gill, Jill Haas and Lesley Harris
(Low-Carbon Headington)
Barbara Hammond
(Low Carbon Hub)