Solar car ports to be installed in Hailsham car park to deliver energy savings

Approval has been given by Wealden District Council to proceed with construction of the solar photovoltaic (PV) car port system at Vicarage Lane Car Park in Hailsham.

Wealden District Council’s Cabinet approved the works which will contribute towards the sustainability of the council offices and reduce carbon emissions, while making productive use of an existing asset.

The scheme will see approximately 456 solar panels fitted above parking spaces at the Vicarage Lane Car Park in Hailsham. Once operational, the solar car ports are expected to generate around 217,000 kWh of renewable electricity each year, which will offset the energy used at the council offices and lower energy costs.

It is also expected to deliver around £54,000 in annual energy savings, with any electricity generated that is not used by the council being exported back to the grid.

The works will be happening in the lower section of Vicarage Lane car park which will be closed in stages. The exact timing of the works is still to be confirmed. The works are expected to take four months to complete.

The contractor completing the works on behalf of the council is Leisure Energy an award-winning company which specialise in delivering energy and sustainability solutions to the public sector.

The construction is planned to start in November 2026 until March 2027 and will be phased to keep disruption to residents, businesses and visitors to an absolute minimum. Every effort will be made to keep as many parking spaces available as possible throughout the works.

During the construction period, motorists will be encouraged to use alternative car parks in Hailsham which include, South Road Car Park, a 23-hour car park, Vicarage Field East, which provides three-hour parking and Vicarage Field West which provides six-hour stay parking.

Existing parking legislation and restrictions within Vicarage Lane car park will continue to apply during the works.

Once the solar car ports are complete, a height restriction barrier will be installed at the entrance to the bottom 23-hour car park which will mean that high-sided vehicles will no longer be able to utilise that area of the car park.

Councillor Kelvin Williams, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat) and lead councillor for Public Health and Asset Management, said, “Investing in solar is not just about reducing carbon emissions.  it is about making better use of the assets we already have to create a cleaner, more sustainable future for our residents. The feedback from residents has been very positive as the project uses a existing asset to meet environmental goals. The solar car port project demonstrates how we can generate renewable energy locally. Most importantly, it is an investment that benefits residents today while helping to build a greener and more resilient community for future generations.”