A woman who put up a solar panel on her roof to help reduce global warming is being ordered to take it down because it "spoilt" the street.

Pamela Lady Wedgwood, of St Anne's Crescent, Lewes, paid more than £6,000 to have the glass tube panel installed on the roof of her house in 1999.

Lady Wedgwood, who sat for years on conservation advisory boards and is the widow of the former vice-chairman of Wedgwood, agreed to take part in an experiment by a company into eco-friendly forms of energy which pledged to pay her back after five years.

She was mistakenly told she did not need planning permission even though she lived in a conservation area.

A retrospective planning application was turned down by Lewes District Council after complaints from residents and the Friends of Lewes, who said the panel spoiled the look of the Victorian street. A later appeal to a Government inspector also failed.

Lady Wedgwood said the panel, which heats her hot water, does not work properly and is now asking permission for a smaller, less obtrusive version.

Planning officers said it was unlikely the alternative design would be approved and have given her two months to take down the panel or face court action. The proposed enforcement action is expected to be approved at a council meeting tonight.

Lady Wedgwood said: "I am very concerned about saving the environment. It is something everyone should be interested in, especially considering what has happened in Lewes with the flooding.

"I think the whole thing is ridiculous. If I wasn't in a conservation area I have been told the council would give me £250 to put up a solar panel. I agree the current panel is no good, which is why I am hoping they will approve a modified panel for me.

"They say I would be setting a precedent but I say that is a very good thing. What is the point in saving homes if all that will be left to enjoy them is cockroaches?"

A report before councillors says: "The reason for service of the notice is that the panel, by virtue of its siting, form and size, is considered to be detrimental to the character and appearance of the Lewes Conservation Area. It would represent an unduly prominent structure within the street scene."

Lewes District Council planning officer Tim Hickling said the council actively supported the use of environmentally friendly forms of energy but that had to be balanced with preserving the appearance of an area.