A gas lamp in Broad Court, Covent Garden [Julian Walker]

YOU would have to be living under a rock to have missed the battle over the future of Westminster’s gas lamps.

In the red corner, the Labour-led council paused a programme of converting these historic lamps to LED replicas, started under the last Conservative administration, to consult on their future, citing safety, costs and environmental concerns in favour of the conversion.

And in the blue corner, a range of heritage groups and celebrities called for the retention of London’s streets’ honeyed glow.

In the end I believe the city council came to the right decision, listening to the views of those who campaigned for the retention of the gas lamps and responding thoughtfully to their concerns.

However, this episode belies a much deeper question we need to answer about how we balance heritage preservation with the imperative of dealing with the climate crisis.

This challenge has been writ large across Westminster. Just a few weeks ago I spoke at the public inquiry into the future of the M&S building on Oxford Street. Controversially M&S has proposed to demolish and rebuild the building, or else abandon it.

But this approach has been contested on heritage and sustainability grounds by Save Britain’s Heritage, who want M&S to show leadership and cost up a comprehensive retrofit of the historic Orchard House site.

Jessica Toale

The cost of living crisis has brought this issue into sharp relief. As people across the country worry about rising energy bills, so too are landlords, occupiers and investors seeking ways to improve the operational efficiency and environmental credentials of their buildings.

And, for many, it is possible for the economic and environmental incentives to align. This challenge is further complicated, however, by being a steward of a heritage or listed building.

By nature, these are “leakier” due to their age or construction style and are protected from interventions by their listed status, including improvements like insulation, double-glazing and solar panels.

Some days ago I visited the beautiful St Paul’s actors church in Covent Garden. Built in 1633 by Inigo Jones, it is oozing with history. And it is one of the 16 churches in the Diocese of London to achieve “eco church” status.

Its gardens are one of the most biodiverse spots in the West End and the team has been working hard to improve their recycling rates and communication with their congregation on sustainability issues.

But this also involves working out how to achieve better energy efficiency within the restrictions of their Grade I-listed building. And they are not alone.

Many of our large institutions across the borough – our art galleries, theatres, public buildings and churches – are housed in listed buildings and face as much as a five-fold increase in their energy bills.

The worry is that these increasing costs are passed on to visitors and residents of Westminster. And while in some cases these prices are already prohibitively high, there are also lots of free or low-cost activities that may be at risk.

An accommodation must be reached between the dual objectives of heritage preservation and sustainability. The city council’s retrofit taskforce is seeking to find a solution, asking tough questions about what can be achieved.

Ultimately we want to protect the experience of residents and visitors in Westminster, preserve the integrity of our heritage architecture and meet our climate goals.

• Jessica Toale is Labour councillor for West End ward and deputy cabinet member for culture, heritage and the arts