A cool green scheme to cover the roof of Unilever's landmark Wall's ice cream factory in Gloucester with a mass of solar panels has been put before city planners.

If planners approve, the scheme at Barnwood Point Business Park will see the factory gain a power boost that will cut its reliance on outside energy by almost a fifth.

The development, outlined in red for the roofing areas that would be converted for solar, requests "solar PV sets across a multitude of existing pitched roof spaces".

In total 2,400 sqm of roof would be covered - spelling around 6,500 panels in all.

Tom Griffin, of Droitwich-based T Griffin Consultancy, has requested on behalf of Unilever UK for approval on the huge scheme.

Mr Griffin told planners: "This will allow for a system generation of up to 3.5MW as part of the site's sustainability drive which will account for production of around 18% of the site's current annual electricity consumption."

In September 2022, Unilever declared that is was working on a Climate Transition Action Plan to switch 100% of its energy to renewable sources by 2030.

However, questions were triggered last month when the global food and consumer goods giant signalled its intention to sell off its ice cream business, amid speculation over the security of 6,000 jobs.

Unilever's Wall's plant in Gloucester is one of the biggest in Europe, producing 145m litres of ice cream annually.