Planning permission
Do you need planning permission for solar panels?
- Covers
- solar panels, solar PV, photovoltaic panels, solar thermal panels, plug-in solar, balcony solar, ground-mounted solar, solar on a garage roof
- The law
- GPDO 2015, Schedule 2, Part 14, Classes A and B, as amended by SI 2026/896 from 27 August 2026
- Applies to
- England
Short answer
Usually not, for a house in England. Part 14, Class A of the General Permitted Development Order grants permission for solar PV or solar thermal panels on a house or on a building in its garden. On a pitched roof they must not stand more than 0.2 metres proud of the slope or rise above the highest part of the roof, chimneys excluded. On a flat roof they must not rise more than 0.6 metres above the highest part of the roof, and on article 2(3) land you must ask the council for a prior approval decision first.
The rules for houses changed on 27 August 2026. Panels on walls, balconies and roof enclosures can now project up to 0.4 metres (0.2 metres where the wall or enclosure abuts a highway), plug-in solar is named, and ground-mounted panels can sit nearer the boundary. Panels on a listed house, or on any building in its curtilage, are excluded.
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Panels on a house: the limits since 27 August 2026
| Where | Limit | Paragraph |
|---|---|---|
| Pitched roof | No more than 0.2 m proud of the slope; not above the highest part of the roof (excluding any chimney) | A.1(2)(c) |
| Flat roof | Not more than 0.6 m above the highest part of the roof; prior approval on article 2(3) land | A.1(2)(d), A.2(ba) |
| Wall | 0.2 m proud if it abuts a highway, otherwise 0.4 m | A.1(2)(a) |
| Balcony or roof enclosure | 0.2 m if it abuts a highway, otherwise 0.4 m | A.1(2)(b) |
| Conservation area or World Heritage Site | Not on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure that fronts a highway | A.1(2)(e) |
| Listed house | Not on the house or on any building in its curtilage | A.1(2)(g) |
| Plug-in solar | Not on a wooden wall, balcony or enclosure, or on timber cladding | A.1(2)(h) |
(a) in the case of solar PV or solar thermal equipment on a wall, it would result in: (i) where the wall abuts on a highway, the solar PV or solar thermal equipment protruding more than 0.2 metres beyond the plane of the wall ...; or (ii) in any other case, the solar PV or solar thermal equipment protruding more than 0.4 metres beyond the plane of the wall ...;
On their ordinary meaning, a wall "abuts on" a highway when it stands against it, and "fronts" a highway when it faces it, which can include a wall behind a front garden. In a conservation area or World Heritage Site, panels on a wall fronting a highway are excluded altogether. Elsewhere, a wall facing a road can take panels within the 0.2 or 0.4 metre limit.
"Plug-in solar" means panels intended to connect to the home's electricity installation with a standard plug and socket (paragraph P). As solar PV, they are subject to every other Class A limit.
Conditions apply to every Class A installation: site it, so far as practicable, to minimise its effect on the building's appearance and the area's amenity, and remove it when no longer needed (paragraph A.2).
Panels on the ground
Class B covers stand-alone panels in a house's garden. Since 27 August 2026 the height limit is: 1 metre within 5 metres of the boundary and forward of the principal elevation; 2 metres elsewhere within 5 metres of the boundary, or in a conservation area nearer a bounding highway than the house; 4 metres in any other case. The panels forming a stand-alone installation may not exceed 9 square metres; the one-array and 3 metre dimension limits no longer apply to houses. Prior approval on appearance is needed in a conservation area nearer the highway than the house, or on article 2(3) land within 5 metres of the boundary (paragraph B.2(aa)). Listed curtilages and scheduled monuments are excluded, and in a World Heritage Site the array may not be nearer a bounding highway than the house or within 5 metres of the boundary.
Under both Classes, work permitted immediately before 27 August 2026 but excluded now can still be carried out until the end of 26 August 2027 (SI 2026/896, article 6).
Flats and heritage homes
Blocks of flats keep the older limits, including a 0.2 metre projection limit on any wall and one ground-mounted array: see flats and maisonettes. For listed houses and conservation areas, see solar panels and heat pumps on heritage homes. The permitted development checker takes you through the Class A and B tests.
Getting certainty
A lawful development certificate under section 192 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 confirms that a proposed installation would be lawful. The council has 8 weeks to decide. It is worth having for arrays near a road or boundary. See lawful development certificates.
Sources
- GPDO 2015, Schedule 2, Part 14 (Classes A and B, paragraph P) legislation.gov.uk
- The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2026, SI 2026/896 legislation.gov.uk
- Explanatory memorandum to SI 2026/896 legislation.gov.uk
- Town and Country Planning Act 1990, section 192 legislation.gov.uk