A ten tonne air source heat pump can be sited on top of the flat roof at a Yorkshire school, planners have agreed.

Calderdale Council planning officers agreed to permit MITIE Technical Facilities Management Ltd’s application to place the pump on the roof at Ryburn Valley High School, in Sowerby Bridge.

The roof is above a staff room at the St Peter’s Avenue school, according to a report, by acoustic consultants Sharps Redmore, submitted with the planning papers.

Planning officers said the proposals will provide the school with clean, sustainable, heating which will be tucked away on top of the roof so it will not interfere with any school equipment, parking, access or outdoor play, sport, or circulation areas.

Ryburn Valley High School at Sowerby, near Sowerby Bridge.

placeholder image — Ryburn Valley High School at Sowerby, near Sowerby Bridge.

The pump will help council climate change goals and help the school with its bills, they said: “It will reduce reliance on fossil fuels and volatile energy pricing.”

The size, scale and proposed use will be in-keeping with the scale and use of the school and will not be harmful in terms of overbearing, overshadowing, overlooking or causing a loss of outlook, they determined.

The air source heat pump would be screened by an acoustic louvre – screening – and nearest houses will not be affected by noise from the new pump, said the officers.

Additionally, the air source heat pump will be supplemented with installation of buffer vessels – water tanks – within an existing second floor plant area.

According to the assessment prepared for MITIE, steel members in the existing structure have spare capacity to accommodate some additional load.

And structurally, a new steel platform is to be provided above the existing roof line.

The new steel platform will be connected to the existing structure, meaning it does not rely on being supported by the existing roof beams.