TL;DR
Probably not. Rooftop solar is "permitted development" in England and Wales — no application needed. You only need planning permission for listed buildings, conservation areas, flats, or ground-mounted systems over 9 sqm. Your MCS-certified installer handles building regulations.
Probably not. Rooftop solar panels fall under "permitted development" in England and Wales, so most homeowners can crack on without a planning application. No forms, no fees, no waiting around for the council.
The conditions
Your installation needs to meet a few straightforward rules:
- Panels must not stick out more than 200mm from the roof surface
- They can't extend above the highest part of the roof (chimneys excluded)
- Wall-mounted panels can't face a highway
- The system must be removed when no longer needed for energy generation
Standard flush-mount systems meet all of these easily. You'd have to go out of your way to fail them.
When you DO need permission
A handful of situations change things:
- Listed buildings. Any external alteration needs listed building consent — solar panels included, even if they'd otherwise qualify as permitted development.
- Conservation areas, AONBs, National Parks, and World Heritage Sites. Panels on a roof slope facing a road are usually the sticking point, but specifics vary by area. We have extensive experience in Surrey's conservation areas, for example.
- Flats and maisonettes. Permitted development rights only apply to houses. If you're in a flat, you'll need a planning application (and probably freeholder consent too).
- Ground-mounted systems over 9 sqm. A typical 8-panel ground array is roughly 14 sqm, so most ground-mount setups will need approval.
Not sure if any of these apply to you? Get in touch and we can tell you in minutes. You can also check the Planning Portal for your specific situation.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
The rules above cover England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own planning frameworks — broadly similar, but with differences around listed buildings and conservation areas. A good local installer will know the specifics.
Building regs are separate
People mix up planning permission and building regulations constantly. They're different things.
Even without planning permission, your installation must comply with building regulations covering electrical safety, structural loading, and fire safety. But here's the thing: if your installer is MCS-certified, they handle all of this as part of the job. At Lunar Solar, we're MCS Certified, NAPIT Approved, and TrustMark Registered — so it's all sorted before we leave site.
You shouldn't need to contact building control yourself. For more on what makes a roof suitable, see our guide on roof suitability for solar panels.
