Solar panels and planning permission in England Do you need planning permission for solar panels?
For most houses in England, no. Rooftop solar panels are "permitted development" if they stay within set limits. Listed buildings always need consent, and conservation areas, national parks and flats have extra rules. The rules for houses changed on 27 August 2026; this guide covers the current ones.
In this guide
Houses: the limits
Solar panels on a house, or on a building in its grounds, are permitted development if they meet these limits:
| Where | Limit |
|---|---|
| Pitched roof | No more than 0.2 m out from the roof slope, and no higher than the highest part of the roof, not counting the chimney |
| Flat roof | No more than 0.6 m above the highest part of the roof, not counting the chimney |
| Wall | No more than 0.2 m out where the wall is next to a road, or 0.4 m elsewhere |
| Balcony, balustrade, railing or parapet | The same 0.2 m or 0.4 m limits as walls |
Two conditions always apply: panels should be placed, as far as practical, to minimise their effect on how the building and the area look; and they should be removed when no longer needed.
What changed in August 2026. New rules for houses came in on 27 August 2026. Panels on walls not next to a road can now stand out 0.4 m (it was 0.2 m), new limits cover balconies and roof enclosures such as parapets, and the rules for panels in gardens were relaxed. Work allowed under the old rules can still be done under them until the end of 26 August 2027.
Conservation areas, national parks and World Heritage Sites
Most houses in these areas can still have roof panels without an application. The extra rules are:
- Conservation areas and World Heritage Sites: panels can't go on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure that faces a road. The rule doesn't mention roof slopes, so a roof slope facing the road isn't ruled out by it.
- Flat roofs on "designated land": that's conservation areas, national parks, National Landscapes (formerly AONBs), the Broads and World Heritage Sites. Panels on a flat roof there need prior approval from the council on their appearance before they go up. If the council doesn't decide within 56 days, the work can go ahead.
- National parks have their own planning authority, such as the Peak District National Park Authority.
Historic England's advice for homes in conservation areas is that houses can often fix panels to roofs without permission, while flats and commercial buildings, and areas with Article 4 directions, generally need it.
Listed buildings
Permitted development doesn't apply to a listed building or to buildings in its grounds. You need listed building consent, and usually planning permission too. Historic England's guidance is that consent is always required for solar panels on a listed building.
That doesn't mean the answer is no. Historic England says panels hidden from view, in roof valleys or behind parapets, are generally acceptable; less prominent slopes, such as rear ranges, are generally acceptable except possibly on Grade I and II* buildings; prominent main slopes generally aren't. An outbuilding or the garden is often a better spot.
Scheduled monuments are excluded too.
Article 4 directions and planning conditions
A council can remove permitted development rights across an area with an Article 4 direction, or on a single property with a planning condition, often on newer estates. It doesn't ban solar, but if the direction covers solar, you need to apply. Each direction lists the rights it removes, so check with your council. Some conservation areas near us have one, such as Middlesbrough's Linthorpe and Darlington's Northgate.
If you're unsure whether permitted development applies, you can apply to the council for a lawful development certificate, which confirms it in writing.
Flats
Blocks of flats have their own, stricter limits: no more than 0.2 m out from a wall or pitched roof, up to 0.6 m above a flat roof, and not on a wall facing a road in a conservation area. If you own a flat, you'll also usually need the freeholder's permission, which is separate from planning.
Ground-mounted panels in the garden
Since 27 August 2026, houses can have more than one stand-alone array, with no 3 m size limit on each. What still applies:
- No more than 9 m² of panels.
- Height: up to 1 m if within 5 m of the boundary and in front of the house; up to 2 m elsewhere within 5 m of the boundary; up to 4 m anywhere else.
- In a conservation area, panels nearer a road than the house are limited to 2 m and need prior approval.
- On designated land (conservation areas, national parks, National Landscapes, the Broads and World Heritage Sites), panels within 5 m of the boundary need prior approval.
- In a World Heritage Site, panels can't be nearer a road than the house, or within 5 m of the boundary.
- Not in the grounds of a listed building or on a scheduled monument.
Batteries, building regulations and plug-in solar
Batteries
No planning rule deals specifically with home batteries. Work inside a building that doesn't change how it looks isn't normally "development", so a battery in a garage or utility room shouldn't need permission. For a battery on the outside of a listed building, or in a conservation area, check with the council.
Building regulations
Building regulations apply even when planning doesn't. The roof has to be checked to make sure it can carry the panels, and adding a solar circuit is notifiable electrical work. An installer registered with a competent person scheme handles this, and you get a compliance certificate within 30 days.
Plug-in solar
Plug-in solar kits became legal in Great Britain on 27 August 2026. The planning rules ban them from wooden walls, balconies, fences and timber cladding.
Questions people ask
Do I need planning permission for solar panels on my house?
Usually not. Roof panels are permitted development if they stand no more than 0.2 m out from a pitched roof and no higher than the ridge, or no more than 0.6 m above a flat roof. Listed buildings always need consent.
Can I have solar panels in a conservation area?
Usually yes, on the roof. Panels can't go on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure facing the road, and flat-roof panels need prior approval.
Can I put solar panels on a listed building?
Only with listed building consent. Panels on hidden or less prominent slopes are much more likely to be approved than on the main front roof.
Do I need planning permission for solar panels on a flat roof?
Not usually, if they're no more than 0.6 m above the highest part of the roof. In conservation areas, national parks and similar designated land, you need prior approval first.
Do I need permission for solar panels on a new-build house?
Check the planning permission for your estate: some include conditions removing permitted development rights. If not, the normal rules apply.
Who checks all this?
We do, for your address, before designing anything. If an application or prior approval is needed, we'll tell you and explain the process.
Read next
Sources
Figures and rules on this page were checked on 11 October 2026. Schemes, tariffs and prices change, so check the latest before you decide.
- legislation.gov.uk: General Permitted Development Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 14, up to date to 9 October 2026
- legislation.gov.uk: S.I. 2026/896, solar permitted development changes, in force 27 August 2026
- Planning Portal: Changes to permitted development rules for domestic solar, 28 August 2026
- Planning Portal: Solar panels, checked 11 October 2026
- legislation.gov.uk: S.I. 2023/1279, flat roofs and non-domestic solar, in force 21 December 2023
- legislation.gov.uk: Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, section 7, up to date to 5 October 2026
- Historic England: Advice Note 18, adapting historic buildings for energy and carbon efficiency, July 2024
- GOV.UK: Planning practice guidance, when is permission required?, updated 26 July 2023
- Peak District National Park Authority: Renewable energy and planning, checked 11 October 2026
- Planning Portal: Solar panels, building regulations, checked 11 October 2026
- GOV.UK: Approved Document P, electrical safety in dwellings, 2013 edition
- GOV.UK: Households can save as plug-in solar panels come to market, 26 August 2026
Not sure about your house?
We check the planning position for your address before we design anything, and tell you plainly if an application is needed.
Prefer to talk? Call 0333 577 6576, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
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