The rules for houses
Solar on a home in England is covered by Part 14 of the national permitted-development rules. Class A covers equipment on a house or block of flats and Class B covers stand-alone equipment in the grounds. Both were rewritten by an amending order that took effect on 27 August 2026 (SI 2026/896). If your project fits the limits, no planning application is needed.
| Where | The limit |
|---|---|
| Pitched roof | No more than 0.2 m beyond the roof slope, and not above the highest part of the roof (chimneys excluded) |
| Flat roof | No more than 0.6 m above the highest part of the roof (chimneys excluded) |
| Wall | Projection up to 0.2 m where the wall abuts a highway, 0.4 m elsewhere |
| Balcony or roof enclosure | The same 0.2 m and 0.4 m limits, measured from its outer surface |
| Conservation area | Nothing on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure that fronts a highway; on a flat roof, ask the council for a prior-approval decision before starting |
| Listed building | Not permitted development: listed building consent needed |
| Plug-in panels | Not on a wooden wall, balcony or enclosure, or anything clad in timber |
Equipment that no longer qualifies under the new rules but did under the old ones can still be installed under the old rules until the end of 26 August 2027, a transitional allowance set out in the same order. The Planning Portal summarises the change (Planning Portal, 28 August 2026).
Two duties apply whichever class you use. Panels should be sited, as far as practicable, to minimise their effect on the outside of the building and on the amenity of the area. And equipment that is no longer needed should be removed. Any MCS installer should design within these limits as a matter of course; the installer guide on this site includes the planning point in its quote checklist.
Manchester's conservation areas
Manchester City Council has designated 35 conservation areas (Manchester City Council). Many are in the city centre, but these are mainly residential:
| Area | District | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria Park | Rusholme | March 1972 |
| Whalley Range | Whalley Range | October 1991 |
| Didsbury St James | Didsbury | November 1970 |
| Chorltonville | Chorlton | October 1991 |
| Chorlton Green | Chorlton | 1970 |
| Albert Park | West Didsbury | March 1988 |
| Ballbrook | Withington | November 1991 |
| Old Broadway | Withington | January 1991 |
| Rushford Park | Levenshulme | March 1986 |
| Crumpsall Green | Crumpsall | January 2004 |
Crumpsall Lane and Hermitage Road, also in Crumpsall, were designated alongside Crumpsall Green in January 2004.
Being in a conservation area does not stop roof panels. What changes is the treatment of walls, balconies and enclosures that front a highway, which in practice means the street side of the house, and flat roofs: before fitting panels to a flat roof in a conservation area you must apply to the council for a decision on whether its prior approval is needed for their appearance (condition A.2(ba)). On a typical Victoria Park villa or Chorltonville cottage, panels on the rear roof slope are the straightforward option, and panels on the front roof slope are permitted development as long as they meet the roof limits. The duty to minimise visual effect carries more weight here, and some owners ask the council for an informal view first.
Article 4 directions can remove permitted-development rights in particular places. The council lists directions on converting houses into shared homes (HMOs) across the city and on turning offices or light-industrial buildings into homes in some areas (Article 4 directions). We found none removing householder rights to fit solar, but directions can be made at any time, so confirm with the council for your street.
Listed buildings
Historic England counts 841 list entries in Manchester: 14 Grade I, 81 Grade II* and 746 Grade II (Heritage Counts 2026). A single entry can cover a whole terrace or a group of villas. If your house, or a building within its grounds, is listed, solar is not permitted development and you need listed building consent before anything is fixed. Doing the work without it is an offence.
Consent is often possible for panels out of public view, on a rear slope or an outbuilding, but every case is judged on its merits. The council's conservation officers advise on applications.
Blocks of flats and plug-in panels
The 2026 order gives blocks of flats their own Class A rules, separate from houses. Listed blocks are excluded, and plug-in panels may not go on timber. A freeholder planning a rooftop scheme should take advice on the block rules before committing; our guide to solar for flats in Manchester covers who decides and how the power can be used.
Plug-in panels for balconies became permitted development on the same date, with the timber exception. The planning position is only half the story for a flat: the lease and the building's rules can still restrict them.
Panels in the garden
Stand-alone panels on a frame in the garden fall under Class B. The panels may cover no more than 9 m², and the height limit depends on position: 1 m within 5 m of the boundary on land in front of the house, 2 m elsewhere within 5 m of the boundary, 2 m in a conservation area if nearer a bounding highway than the house, and 4 m in other cases. In a conservation area, equipment nearer the highway than the house needs the council's prior approval. Not within the grounds of a listed building.
Most Manchester gardens are small, and a frame low enough to meet the limits may be shaded by walls and fences. The roof yield explorer shows how much a flat or low-tilted panel makes compared with a pitched roof.
How to check before you start
- Check whether your street is in one of the 35 conservation areas using the council's maps.
- Search the National Heritage List for your address to see whether the house is listed.
- Ask your installer to confirm in writing that the design meets the Class A limits.
- If you are unsure, the council can give a formal answer through an application for a lawful development certificate; its permitted-development page notes that conservation areas and listed buildings carry further restrictions (Manchester City Council).
Older houses in conservation areas often have slate roofs worth checking before fixings go in; see solar on Victorian and Edwardian homes. For the size of system a typical roof takes and what it costs, read solar on terraced houses and what solar costs in Manchester.