The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2026

Amendment of Class B (installation or alteration etc of stand-alone solar equipment on domestic premises)

4.—(1) In Class B, in paragraph B.1 (development not permitted)—

(a) for the words before sub-paragraph (a), substitute—

Development not permitted: block of flats

(1) Development is not permitted by Class B within the curtilage of a block of flats if—”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (b)—

(i) in paragraphs (i) and (ii), omit “dwellinghouse or” in both places those words occur;

(ii) after paragraph (v), omit the “or”;

(c) at the end of sub-paragraph (c), for the “.” substitute “; or”;

(d) after sub-paragraph (c), insert—

“(d) in the case of plug-in solar, any part of the plug-in solar would be installed on a wooden fence, gate, wall or other means of enclosure.”;

(e) after sub-paragraph (d), insert—

Development not permitted: dwellinghouse

(2) Development is not permitted by Class B within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse if—

(a) the height of any part of the stand-alone solar when measured from the surface of the ground would, after the carrying out of the development, exceed the lowest applicable height limit in the table—

	Circumstances where limit applies	Height limit
(i)	Any part of the stand-alone solar would be installed— (aa) within 5 metres of the boundary of the curtilage; and (bb) so that it is situated on land forward of a wall forming part of the principal elevation of the dwellinghouse.	1 metre.
(ii)	Any part of the stand-alone solar would be installed within 5 metres of the boundary of the curtilage.	2 metres.
(iii)	Any part of the stand-alone solar would be installed— (aa) on land in a conservation area; and (bb) so that it is nearer to any highway which bounds the curtilage than the part of the dwellinghouse which is nearest to that highway.	2 metres.
(iv)	In any other case.	4 metres.

(b) any part of the stand-alone solar—

(i) would, in the case of land which is a World Heritage Site—

(aa) be installed so that it is nearer to any highway which bounds the curtilage than the part of the dwellinghouse which is nearest to that highway; or

(bb) be installed within 5 metres of the boundary of the curtilage;

(ii) would be installed within the curtilage of a listed building; or

(iii) would be installed on a site designated as a scheduled monument;

(c) the surface area of the solar panels forming part of the stand-alone solar would exceed 9 square metres; or

(d) in the case of plug-in solar, any part of the plug-in solar would be installed on a wooden fence, gate, wall or other means of enclosure.”;

(2) In Class B, in paragraph B.2, for sub-paragraph (aa), substitute—

“(aa) where either or both of the following criteria are met—

(i) any part of the stand-alone solar would be installed in a conservation area and nearer to any highway which bounds the curtilage than the part of the dwellinghouse or block of flats which is nearest that highway;

(ii) any part of the stand-alone solar would be installed on article 2(3) land and within 5 metres of the boundary of the curtilage,

before beginning development the developer must apply to the local planning authority for a determination as to whether the prior approval of the local planning authority will be required with respect to the impact of the appearance of the stand-alone solar on that conservation area or that article 2(3) land, or both, as the case may be;”.