Free tool · Planning
Do your solar panels need planning permission?
Check it yourself, the way we do: the postcode against the national heritage map, then the national rules, one roof slope at a time. Every answer shows its reasoning and its source.
What's the postcode?
We check it against the national planning map for conservation areas, listed buildings, Article 4 directions and other protected land.
How the check works
- National law. Domestic roof solar is usually permitted development (GPDO 2015, Schedule 2, Part 14, Class A), within a 20 cm projection limit.
- Protected land. On Article 2(3) land, including conservation areas designated under s.69 of the 1990 Act, panels on a slope facing a highway lose that right.
- Local maps. We cross-check the postcode against council designations published nationally, then ask you to confirm what the map can't see: property type, which slopes face the street, covenants.
Worked example: read our W5 case study, where a house in the Haven Green Conservation Area split into a permitted rear roof and a front roof needing full permission.
Common questions
- Do solar panels need planning permission?
- On most houses in England, no: roof panels are permitted development under Schedule 2, Part 14, Class A of the GPDO 2015, provided they project no more than 20 cm and are sited to minimise visual impact.
- What changes in a conservation area?
- Conservation areas are Article 2(3) land. Panels on a roof slope or wall that faces a highway are not permitted development and need full planning permission. Rear and hidden slopes usually remain permitted development.
- Can I put solar panels on a flat?
- Flats and maisonettes have no householder permitted development for solar, so full planning permission is needed, plus consent from the freeholder or under the lease.
- How can I be certain?
- Apply to your council for a Lawful Development Certificate, which formally confirms the work is permitted development.