PLANS to install solar panels on the roof of the Charter Hall have been shelved after Okehampton Town Council decided not to move forward with the project.

At a property meeting on Monday, town councillors discussed the possibility of embarking on a scheme to put solar panels on three possible areas of the hall roof.

They voted by three to two not to move ahead with the project for the time being.

The main stumbling blocks they felt were the cost and potential energy return, the uncertain economic climate and whether the panels would become quickly outdated by newer technologies.

To move forward with the scheme, the council would have had to invest an initial £1,500 for a structural report, building regulation consent, to have drawings of the scheme done and for an energy efficiency report.

Doing this would have made the project eligible to receive grants, including EDF's Green Fund.

Cllr Terry Cummings had supported the project: 'We have to be a forward thinking council, setting an example for the community.

'We need to set precedents and standards, and one way of doing that is trying to lead the way on green energy.'

But Cllr Paul Vachon said: 'I am quite concerned that any panels put in now could become outdated in a short period of time, a matter of two or three years. Investment now could be unwise if the panels turned out to be comparatively inefficient compared to newer panels being developed.'

If the council had gone ahead with the scheme, it would have been on a step by step approach, with the potential to put panels on three parts of the roof, each with a different area size.

The first would be nearest to the town hall, set back between 20 to 30 metres to avoid shading. With ten panels covering an area of around 13 metres squared, it would generate 1.9 kilowatts of energy.

The second area suggested for panels would be further away from the town hall, and generate between 4 and 4.5 kilowatts of energy.

The panels would possibly be visible from Red Lion Yard, though visibility of the panels would be minimal.

The final area would be even further from the town hall, with 36 panels covering an area of roughly 46 metres squared. They would generate between six and seven kilowatts of energy, but would be clearly visible from Red Lion Yard.

The plans cannot be reviewed again for at least six months following the vote.