Frome Town Council has agreed to give £90,000 to the Cheese and Grain to buy solar panels, despite opposition from several councillors.

The decision was made at the full council meeting held last Wednesday evening.

The installation would use photo-voltaic panels to produce electricity for the building and for export to the National Grid, under the Feed-In Tariff scheme.

Currently anyone who sells electricity they generate through the use of solar panels or other forms of renewable energy back to the grid is paid 43p per kilowatt, at a rate which is fixed for the next 25 years. But, the Government is cutting this rate so that electricity generated from installations that are put in place after March 3 will be paid at a reduced rate of 21p per kilowatt.

The new manager of the Cheese and Grain, Steve Macarthur, said he felt it was a intelligent way of investing reserves but they would need the permission of the landlord, Mendip District Council, by the end of the week for the project to stay on track to allow them to be paid at the higher rate.

He added that he did not think the panels and installation would cost £90,000 and the spend was more than likely to be half that amount.

Councillor Mel Usher (IfF, Frome Market) told councillors that Cheese and Grain trustees chairman John Birkett-Smith should be praised for all his hard work on the project and said that the decision was a "no-brainer".

He said that if the right number of panels were installed then the return over 25 years could be in the region of £400,000.

Mr Usher said that the project was stuck due to gaining the freeholder's permission and that it needed to be flowing by March 3.

Councillor James Godman (Con, Frome College) said he was concerned why the town council would be involved in spending that much money and felt that it was a decision that was being forced on the authority.

Mr Usher argued that this project had not come out of the blue and councillor Peter Macfadyen (IfF, Frome Oakfield) said the council could wait another month but it risked losing out on potentially £100,000.

He said: "To defer this decision would be extraordinarily counter-productive and it could bring thousands of pounds into Frome."

Councillor Eve Berry (Con, Berkley Down) said she felt there has been no consultation with the people of Frome and her main concern was the amount of support going in just the one direction.

The councillors also agreed to carry out a feasibility study on the relocation of the council office to the mezzanine of the Cheese and Grain.

The councillors voted eight in favour of the two items and three against.

There was no representation from the four Liberal Democrat councillors, who had given their apologies.