SOLAR panels are set to be installed on Weymouth Bus Depot.

First Bus has applied to Dorset Council for permission to install a total of 166 panels on the building, in Edward Street.

“The site is located two blocks back from The Esplanade and fronts Commercial Road to the west with the provision of three garage doors allowing bus access for servicing and maintenance purposes and a small frontage to the east of the site, on Park Street, used for pedestrian staff access,” the application said.

“The main site access is to the north side from King Street. The south side of the site is bordered with a row of terraced houses on Bath Street.

“Terraced houses also front Commercial Road, King Street and Park Street. These houses are punctuated by the buildings main site access on Kings street.”

How the panels might look, from above. Picture: CorEnergy/Dorset Council

“The proposed solar PV panels will only be installed on the south facing roof pitch,” it added.

The plans say the roof is ‘a 4 degree pitched trapezoidal roof with an eaves height of seven meters’.

Panels will be fixed to the roof using a light weight mounting system and will be cabled together, it added.

“Both the mounting system and cabling will be fitted on the underside of the solar panels, and thus will be out of sight,” it said.

“One discreet DC cable run will enter the building at the top of the building’s side wall, feeding in to connect the solar PV panels to the internal electrics room, where the energy will be converted, and used on site.”

For more details, and to comment on the plans, log on to dorsetcouncil.gov.uk and search for application reference P/PASO/2023/04999.