AN application will be submitted to the borough council for the installation of solar panels at a golf club, due to the rising cost of electricity.

At a special meeting of Seascale Golf Club, members voted unanimously for a scheme to install solar panels on some of their buildings at The Banks.

The decision is a reaction the rising cost of energy nationally and the news that the club’s bills were set to go 'through the roof'.

The scheme could see a third of the club’s electricity being met by solar power, enhancing its green credentials, helping to reduce its carbon footprint and meeting the government’s desire to boost alternative energy sources. The roofs will take a new lease of life, improving their appearance and the environment.

Project lead Andrew Wallace said: “We were warned at our annual meeting that our electricity costs were about to go through the roof, and I voiced my opinion that the golf club would benefit from investing in solar both for energy saving and carbon footprint, and that my experience of domestic solar installation was very encouraging and hassle free. 

“I was tasked with a feasibility study of a kind to find out more and maybe run with the project, which we are almost ready to get on with.”

Seascale Golf Club is also carrying out an audit of its energy costs, designed to identify any further inefficiencies and potential savings.

Another scheme coming to fruition is the creation of a borehole to provide a steady supply of water to greens and tees – desperately needed after three years of drought.

A spokesman for the golf club said: “These are key environmental projects and investments that will improve sustainability while achieving financial savings against rapidly increasing costs, perhaps supporting a strategy that pays to go green.”

To view applications submitted to Copeland Borough Council for approval, visit: https://www.copeland.gov.uk/planning