Do I need planning permission for solar panels on a London house?

Often you do not, if the house is not listed and the panels stay within the permitted development limits. Those limits include a 0.2 metre projection from a pitched roof. Your borough can still withdraw rights through an Article 4 direction, so check first.

Can I put solar panels on a listed house in London?

Not under permitted development. Listed buildings are excluded from the national solar rights, and you will normally need listed building consent. Kensington and Chelsea consulted in 2022 on a simpler consent route for some listed buildings, but rules vary by borough, so ask your council.

Are solar roof tiles worth it on a London terrace?

They can be, where the roof is visible or being replaced anyway. On a hidden rear pitch, a flush in-roof array is usually the better balance of cost and appearance. We compare both against your drawings.

Do you have a London office?

No. We are a national studio working by appointment. We review your drawings and photographs first, then arrange a survey visit if the project goes ahead.

London · Greater London

Design-led solar for London homes and conservation areas

Planning authority: London boroughs (for example Kensington & Chelsea, Camden and Islington) · Updated 10 October 2026

Design-led solar in London starts with the roof you can see and the one you cannot. Most London homes sit in a crowded urban setting, so every pitch has a neighbour, a street or a view. A good scheme respects that setting and still generates real power.

We are a national solar studio, and London is one of our flagship locations. Instead of a local office, we work by appointment, with architects, self-builders and owners of period homes. We do not run a local office, and we do not claim local staff.

The London roofscape

London is not one place. It is a patchwork of boroughs, each with its own conservation areas and its own planning officers. For example, a Georgian terrace in Islington, a Victorian villa in Camden and a mews house in Kensington all raise different questions.

Many London terraces have shallow roofs behind parapets, or steeper pitches hidden at the rear. Historic England notes that panels are easier to place on shallow-pitched roofs largely hidden by parapets. That hidden quality is the starting point for most London designs. So we look first at which slopes carry the least visual weight.

The planning picture in London

London has no single rule book for solar. National rules apply, and your borough adds its own policies on top. The national rules are in Part 14 of Schedule 2 to the General Permitted Development Order 2015, as amended.

However, for a house that is not listed, solar on a pitched roof is generally permitted development. The panels must not project more than 0.2 metres from the roof slope. They must also stay below the highest part of the roof, chimneys aside.

In a conservation area, the Order bars solar on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure that fronts a highway. It treats World Heritage Sites the same way. Roof slopes are not named in that restriction. Even so, the siting condition still applies, because panels must be placed to minimise their effect on the building’s appearance and the area.

Listed buildings are excluded from these rights altogether. So if your home is listed, you will need listed building consent. Flats and buildings with Article 4 directions need extra care, because a direction can withdraw specified permitted development rights across a defined area.

Boroughs also differ in how they handle this. For example, Kensington and Chelsea has around 4,000 listed buildings. In early 2022 the council consulted on a local listed building consent order for solar panels on most Grade II and some Grade II* buildings. Ask your own borough what applies to your street before you commit to a design.

Which systems suit London homes

The right system depends on the roof, the street and the budget. In practice, four routes cover most London projects.

Flush in-roof arrays suit a rear or side pitch. The panels sit level with the covering, so the roof reads as one calm plane. Our guide to in-roof solar explains how the tray and flashing work.
Solar roof tiles and slates suit visible pitches and re-roofs. They cost more per kilowatt, so we use them where appearance drives the decision. See our solar roof tiles and slates service for the detail.
Building-integrated PV suits extensions, rooflights, glazed canopies and new mews builds. The solar is the building material. Our building-integrated PV service covers this.
Rear garden and outbuilding arrays suit listed homes. A garden room or studio roof can carry the array while the main house stays untouched.

Cost, products and finish

Cost questions come up early, so we explain them in our guide to how much solar roof tiles cost in the UK. It sets out why integrated systems carry a premium over on-roof panels.

Also, many clients ask about one well-known brand. Our post on whether the Tesla Solar Roof is available in the UK answers that plainly. We are product-independent, so we specify what suits the building.

Finish matters as much as format. First, dark, matte modules with black frames and black backsheets sit best against slate. Our guide to all-black solar panels explains when a full-black module is worth the extra cost.

Working with London architects

Many London projects arrive with an architect already on board. We join the team as the solar specialist. Because we work from your drawings, we resolve the array against the elevation and produce clear information for the wider team.

If your scheme uses glazing, canopies or façade elements, read our checklist for specifying BIPV for architects. It lists what to settle before the planning drawings are fixed. Our bespoke solar design service covers the same ground from the client’s side.

How a London project runs

Because we work nationally and by appointment, the process is simple. Instead, it does not depend on an office near you.

Send us your details. Use the enquiry form to share drawings, photographs and your postcode. We do not take phone calls or public email.
Design review. We study the roof, the street and any heritage designations. We then propose a system and a layout.
Consent route. We set out whether permitted development, a householder application or listed building consent is likely. Your borough makes the final decision.
Survey and specification. A survey visit is arranged by appointment. We then issue a specification your roofer and electrician can price.
Installation and handover. We coordinate the interface with the roof so the finished result matches the drawings.

When you are ready, send us your drawings. You can also read how our conservation-area solar work handles protected streets.