Do I need planning permission for solar panels?

For most homes, no. Roof panels on a house normally count as permitted development, which means you can go ahead without applying for planning permission. The exceptions worth knowing are conservation areas, listed buildings and flats, and there are a few simple limits on how the panels sit. We confirm which of these applies to your home before we quote.

The starting point in England is that solar panels on the roof of a house are permitted development. In plain terms, the rules already give you permission, so there is no application to make and no fee to pay. It covers the great majority of ordinary homes.

There are a few conditions that come with that. The panels should not stick out more than 200mm from the roof slope, they should not sit higher than the highest part of the roof (the chimney aside), and they should be taken down if they are ever no longer used. A normal roof-mounted install sits well inside these, so for most homes they are a non-issue rather than a hurdle.

Conservation areas are the common exception around here. On a home in a conservation area, panels on a roof slope that faces onto a road usually do need planning permission, while the same panels on the rear roof, out of sight of the street, often stay permitted development. So it is not that solar is banned, it is that the street-facing slope needs an application and the back one may not. We check which slope earns its keep and which one needs consent before recommending anything.

Listed buildings are the firm one: they need listed building consent whichever slope the panels go on, and usually planning permission too. Flats and maisonettes are different again, because the permitted-development right is written for houses, so a flat generally needs an application. If your home is listed or a flat, we tell you what is needed rather than press on regardless.

One thing that catches people out: planning permission and the grid connection are separate. Whatever the planning position, we still notify or apply to the network operator so your system can connect and export safely, and the work is done to building regulations. We handle that side for you, and we confirm your home is in the clear on planning before any deposit.

Book a free solar assessment or call us on 0330 133 2323.