Plans to upgrade Smalls Lighthouse are being considered

Officers at Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority claim plans to add solar panels and wind turbines to the Grade II Listed Smalls Lighthouse are not in keeping with their guidelines.

The maritime body which runs the automated lighthouse, situated on two clusters of rocks in the Irish Sea, says the changes would bring enormous cost and environmental benefits.

It is sending one of its staff to discuss the plans with park authority officials ahead of the planning meeting next Wednesday.

The overall silhouette would not change at all Howard Cooper

Trinity House, the charitable organisation responsible for lighthouses in England and Wales, wants to "solarise" the Smalls Lighthouse, which has warned sailors of the rocks below for more than 200 years.

The work would involve installing 78 solar panels and eight wind turbines around the base of the heli-deck atop the 41m structure.

The lighthouse, which was fully automated in 1987, currently has its light, visible over 25 miles, powered by diesel generators, but the fuel has to be flown in by helicopter.

'Aesthetics'

Trinity House spokesman Howard Cooper said the body was disappointed that planning officers had recommended the application for refusal.

He said: "The advantage is to get free energy from the sun and the wind.

"The overall silhouette would not change at all - somebody would have to get up close to the lighthouse to see the solar panels - and it would not interfere with the fabric of the building.

"The biggest change it has had was putting the helipad on. It is obviously more environmentally friendly to use solar power."

He said the �500,000 refurbishment was earmarked for next summer and would require engineers on site for five months.

A report before the park authority argues the proposals for the lighthouse which has a history dating back to 1775, would "negatively affect the aesthetics of the building".

It states: "The Building Conservation Officer considers that the argument that very few people would ever see the changes holds as little weight as would any intended alteration to less visible part of an Listed Building."