As part of our commitment to tackling the Climate Emergency, our Planning policy encourages the use of sustainable options for powering your home, wherever possible and appropriate. One common way to make use of renewable energy is to install solar panels on your property, fixed to a wall or rooftop, or in a ground-mounted, standalone installation.
Use this page to check if you will need to make an application for planning permission or other consents for different types and locations of solar installation, and to understand the principles we will follow when assessing applications. Select a topic below to read more.
The regulations which apply depend on where you are proposing to locate your solar panel installation.
For installations on buildings
You will need permission if any of the following are true:
- The equipment would protrude more than 0.2 metres beyond the plane of the wall or the roof slope (when measured from the perpendicular with the external surface of the wall or roof slope).
- The highest part of the equipment would be higher than the highest part of the roof (excluding any chimney).
- The equipment would be installed on a wall which fronts a highway in a conservation area or a World Heritage Site. This restriction applies to all properties in Bath, as the whole city is a World Heritage Site.
- The installation site is designated as a scheduled monument.
- The equipment would be installed on a building within the curtilage of a listed building.
Permission granted would be subject to the following conditions:
- Equipment would be sited, so far as is practicable, to minimise its effect on the external appearance of the building, and the amenity of the area.
- When no longer needed, equipment must be removed as soon as is practicable.
For ground-mounted installations
One way of installing, altering or replacing your solar power equipment is to install stand-alone, ground-mounted equipment within the curtilage of a house or block of flats. This means locating the solar panels on land which forms part of the property.
These installations are classed as permitted development (which doesn't need planning permission), unless any of the following are true:
- Conditions related to number and size of installations
- There is already a stand-alone ground-mounted solar equipment installation within the curtilage
- Any part of the equipment would be taller than 4m
- Any part of the installation (including its housing) measures more than 3m in size (length, height or depth)
- The surface area of the solar panels is more than 9m2
- Conditions related to the location
- Any part of the equipment is sited within 5m of the boundary of the property's curtilage
- The installation is within the curtilage of a listed building or scheduled monument
- Any part of the equipment would be closer to the highway than the closest part of the main property (in cases of properties within a conservation area or a World Heritage Site, whose curtilage is next to a highway). This restriction applies to all properties in Bath, as the whole city is a World Heritage Site.
Permission granted would be subject to the following conditions:
- Equipment would be sited, so far as is practicable, to minimise its effect on the amenity of the area.
- When no longer needed, equipment must be removed as soon as is practicable.
In addition to any requirements for planning permission, you may also need to apply for listed building consent, if your proposed installation is on a listed building, or within its curtilage (or the curtilage of any building built before 1948).
Find out more about listed building consent
We base our assessment of any planning application on both national and local planning policies.
National policy
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Protection of wildlife and biodiversity
As a planning authority, we have a statutory duty to conserve biodiversity, and to take into account protected species, such as nesting birds and roosting bats. These duties will be part of our consideration for any proposed works to roofs, when planning permission or listed building consent is required. However, where no application is necessary, it is the responsibility of the property owner to comply with the relevant legislation, and not to do so could be an offence. View guidance about construction and protected species
Legislation covering wildlife and planning duties
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Permitted development
- Due to the various provisions of the Town and Country (General Permitted Development) Order, not all solar panels will require permission. This may lead applicants to perceive that decision-making in this area is inconsistent. However, this is a result of national permitted development regulations, rather council policy.
Local policy
- When planning permission is necessary, the decision taking process follows the relevant adopted planning policies, which have broad wording, and which encourage renewable energy in general terms. In addition, Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) and our Local Plan policies add some detail and guidance. Of these, the most useful to consult for guidance are as follows:
Please note that the Sustainable construction and energy efficiency SPD and Energy efficiency and renewable energy guidance for listed buildings and undesignated historic buildings SPD are currently under review, following a recent public consultation. We are due to publish an updated and combined SPD early next year (view the draft version). This updated SPD will include additional guidance on solar panels, consistent with the guidelines on this page.
However, once it is adopted, we are unlikely to update this SPD again for some time (as this process requires public consultation). Therefore, this web page will be the most up-to-date source for any changes in policy which occur after we publish our new SPD.
We will deal with all applications on a case-by-case basis, but we will apply a proactive and positive approach to all applications to install solar panels, in response to our Climate Emergency declaration and our priorities to promote sustainable and renewable energy generation.
When it comes to the detail, each case will be different, and the legislation requires us to consider each application on its own merits. However, there are some general principles that will apply to designated buildings and locations.
Considerations for listed buildings
- Visual impact in close and longer views, on the host building and other nearby listed buildings
- In respect of visual impact, we are considering the impact on the character of the listed building. The panels should be located so that they are not generally visible in short- and medium-distance views and should blend in longer-distance views, through product type, into the roofscape. If initially proposed locations are unacceptable, we will work with applicants to consider alternative locations, such as different roof slopes, outbuildings or ground mounting.
- Impact on historic fabric (for example, where strengthening or even replacement is proposed)
- In respect of historic fabric, the aim should be to avoid major alteration and loss. Some older roofs are of ‘delicate’ construction, and would need major work to carry the weight of panels. Others will be more robust. The applicant may need to seek the advice of a historic buildings engineer in order to confirm the position.
Considerations for conservation areas and the World Heritage Site
The following consideration applies for any development in Bath, as the whole city is a World Heritage Site
Visual impact, in close and longer views
Before you apply for planning permission or listed building consent for any solar panel or equipment installation, you'll need to provide evidence of the following:
- An assessment of alternative locations
- An assessment of alternative technologies considered
- Information regarding any mitigation of impact (for example, non reflective panels or the use of tile panels or solar shingles)