Solar Panel Planning Permission: Do You Need It?

Solar panel planning permission is one of the first questions homeowners ask, and the good news is that most ordinary roof-mounted systems in England do not need it. They are normally covered by permitted development rights, as long as your home and your roof fit a short list of limits.

Those limits come from the General Permitted Development Order, the law that sets out which projects you can carry out without a full planning application. Below we walk through the rules in plain English, using the wording in Part 14 of Schedule 2 on legislation.gov.uk, so you know what to expect before a surveyor visits.

Do I need solar panel planning permission for a normal pitched roof?

For a typical house with a pitched roof, usually not. Under Class A of Part 14, panels are not permitted development if they would protrude more than 0.2 metres (200mm) beyond the plane of the roof slope, or if any part of them would sit higher than the highest part of the roof. In other words, the roof ridge is your upper limit.

In practice, most systems fitted flush to the roof, with panels sitting on rails just above the tiles, stay inside those limits. If your plans keep the panels below the ridge and within 200mm of the roof surface, you are normally in the clear.

There is also a common-sense condition. The law says the equipment should, so far as practicable, be sited to minimise its effect on the appearance of the building and the amenity of the area. It must also be removed as soon as reasonably practicable when it is no longer needed.

What about flat roofs, walls and gardens?

Flat roofs have their own rule. Panels there must not be more than 0.6 metres higher than the highest part of the roof. That gives room to tilt panels towards the sun, which is often worth doing on a flat roof.

For panels fixed to a wall, the legislation sets a projection limit of 0.4 metres, or 0.2 metres where the wall fronts a highway. If you were thinking of a freestanding array in the garden, that falls under different rules, so ask your local planning authority before you commit.

When does solar panel planning permission become necessary?

The main exception is a listed building. The rules say panels are not permitted development if the dwellinghouse is listed, so you would need to speak to your council about listed building consent first. The same applies to sites designated as scheduled monuments.

Conservation areas and World Heritage Sites are less restrictive than many people assume. Panels are not permitted development on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure that fronts a highway in those places, but the roof itself is not caught by that particular rule. There is one further catch: on a flat roof in this kind of protected land, you must apply to the local planning authority for a determination before you start.

Planning rules are amended from time to time. The legislation page notes that some provisions changed with effect from 27 August 2026, so always check the current position with your council if your home is anywhere near these exceptions. A short call is far cheaper than removing panels later.

What should you do before booking a survey?

Start by checking whether your home is listed or sits in a conservation area, which your council’s website will usually tell you. Then think about the roof you want to use: a pitched roof with flush panels is the simplest case, while a flat roof or a wall-mounted array deserves a closer look.

If you are curious about plug-in panels, the rules are different again, and we cover them in our guide to plug-in solar panels in the UK. To see why so many households are going solar, read about the UK passing two million installations. You can also try our solar calculator for a first estimate, or read more about solar energy and battery storage.

Get a free solar quote from Grant Store

Grant Store Ltd is MCS-certified, an Octopus Trusted Partner and FCA authorised. We are based in Wigan and install solar panels, battery storage and air source heat pumps for homeowners across England. Get an instant estimate at quote.grant-store.com/solar, or call us on 01942 918844.

Written by Gareth Whitehill