Planning permission

In many cases installing solar panels on non domestic land is likely to be considered ‘permitted development’ with no need to apply to the council for planning permission. There are, however, important limits and conditions which must be met to benefit from the permitted development rights (see below).

Non domestic land for the purposes of these permitted development rights is broad and can include businesses and community buildings. Permitted development rights are also available for domestic properties, details can be found here.

You may wish to discuss with the local planning authority for your area whether all of the limits and conditions will be met.

Solar panels mounted on a non domestic building

All the following conditions must be observed:

  • Panels should be sited, so far as is practicable, to minimise the effect on the external appearance of the building and the amenity of the area.
  • When no longer needed for microgeneration panels should be removed as soon as reasonably practicable.

All the following limits must be met:

  • Solar panels installed on a wall or a pitched roof should project no more than 200mm from the wall surface or roof slope.
  • Where panels are installed on a flat roof the highest part of the equipment should not be more than one metre above the highest part of the roof (excluding the chimney).
  • Equipment mounted on a roof must not be within one metre of the external edge of the roof.
  • Equipment mounted on a wall must not be within one metre of a junction of that wall with another wall or with the roof of the building.
  • The panels must not be installed on a listed building or on a building that is within the grounds of a listed building.
  • The panels must not be installed on a site designated as a scheduled monument.
  • If the building is on designated land* the equipment must not be installed on a wall or a roof slope which fronts a highway.

Stand alone solar panel installations in the grounds of a non domestic building

All the following conditions must be observed:

  • Panels should be sited, so far as is practicable, to minimise the effect on the amenity of the area.
  • When no longer needed for microgeneration panels should be removed as soon as reasonably practicable.

All the following limits must be met:

Only the first stand alone solar installation will be permitted development. Further installations will require planning permission from the local authority.

  • No part of the installation should be higher than four metres
  • The installation should be at least 5m from the boundary of the property.
  • The size of the array should be no more that 9 square metres or 3m wide by 3m deep.
  • Panels should not be installed within the boundary of a listed building or a scheduled monument.
  • If the property is in a designated area* no part of the solar installation should be nearer to any highway bounding the grounds of the property than the part of the building that is nearest to that highway.

* Designated land includes national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Site.

Note – If you are a leaseholder you may need to get permission from your landlord, freeholder or management company.

Building Regulations

If you wish to install a solar panel on your roof building regulations will normally apply.

The ability of the existing roof to carry the load (weight) of the panel will need to be checked and proven. Some strengthening work may be needed.

Building regulations also apply to other aspects of the work such as fire protection and weather proofing. It is advisable to contact an installer who can provide the necessary advice

Disclaimer

This is an introductory guide and is not a definitive source of legal information. Read the full disclaimer here.

This guidance relates to the planning regime for England. Policy in Wales may differ. If in doubt contact your Local Planning Authority.