The national limits for a house
In England, solar panels on a house are permitted development, meaning no planning application is needed, as long as they stay within limits set nationally. Those limits were rewritten from 27 August 2026 (SI 2026/896; Planning Portal). In short:
| Where | The limit |
|---|---|
| Pitched roof | No more than 0.2 m proud of the roof surface, and nothing above the ridge, chimneys aside |
| Flat roof | No more than 0.6 m above the roof's highest point, chimneys aside |
| Walls | 0.2 m from a wall facing a highway, 0.4 m from any other |
| Balconies and roof-terrace enclosures | The same 0.2 m or 0.4 m, measured from the outer face |
| Conservation area | Nothing on a wall, balcony or enclosure facing a highway; a flat-roof scheme needs the council's prior approval |
| Listed building | Not permitted development: listed building consent is needed |
The rules also expect panels to be sited, as far as practicable, to keep down their effect on the look of the building and the area, and to be removed once no longer needed. Plug-in kits up to 800 W, which became legal to sell in 2026 (SI 2026/848), are not permitted development on timber walls, balconies, enclosures or timber cladding.
The borough's 23 conservation areas
Wigan Council lists 23 conservation areas (Wigan Council). They are spread across the borough rather than concentrated in one town:
- Ashton-in-Makerfield
- Howe Bridge (Atherton)
- Market Place (Atherton)
- Golborne Park Road
- Golborne town centre
- Haigh Village
- Hindley town centre
- Bridgewater Canal (Leigh)
- Leigh Bridge
- Leigh town centre
- Railway Road (Leigh)
- Pennington (Leigh)
- Church Lane (Shevington)
- Mayflower (Standish)
- Standish
- Tyldesley town centre
- Astley Village (Tyldesley)
- Dicconson (Wigan)
- Mesnes (Wigan)
- Wigan Lane
- Wigan Pier
- Wigan town centre
- Greenhill
By town, the council's list gives Leigh five areas and Wigan itself five; Atherton, Tyldesley, Golborne and Standish two each; and one each at Ashton-in-Makerfield, Haigh Village, Hindley town centre, Church Lane in Shevington and Greenhill (our count from the council's list). Check the council's maps for the exact boundary of any area near you.
In a conservation area the roof rules above still apply, so panels on a pitched roof within the limits remain permitted, including on a slope that faces the street. What changes is the walls and balconies: nothing may go on one that faces a highway without permission, and panels on a flat roof need the council's prior approval before work starts. Sensible siting matters more here too: a row of panels across a prominent front slope in a village street such as Haigh Village or Astley Village (Tyldesley) may be lawful and still worth placing at the back if the back slope works.
Listed buildings
Historic England counts 353 listed entries in the borough: 1 at grade I, 31 at grade II* and 321 at grade II (Historic England). Panels on a listed building, or within its curtilage, are never permitted development; listed building consent is needed, and fixing panels without it can be an offence. The National Heritage List for England shows whether an address is listed.
Article 4 directions and flats
Councils can use Article 4 directions to withdraw permitted development rights in particular streets, usually inside conservation areas. Wigan Council's conservation area pages are the place to check whether one covers your street; if you are unsure, ask the planning team before committing, or apply for a lawful development certificate for certainty.
The limits above are for houses. Only 7.4% of Wigan households live in a flat (Census 2021), but for them the 2026 rules set separate conditions for blocks of flats and exclude listed blocks altogether, and the freeholder or management company decides about the roof whatever planning allows.
Planning, the grant and the network are separate
Three different bodies have a say on a Wigan solar job, and a yes from one does not cover the others. The council decides planning and listed building consent. Electricity North West takes the installer's notice or application for the connection (Electricity North West). GMCA decides grant eligibility, for homes at EPC D to G where the household qualifies on income, benefits or postcode, and its measures follow a retrofit assessment (GMCA). A grant-funded job in a conservation area or on a listed house still needs the council's consent where the rules above require it. A quote should say which of the three applies and who handles each: see what a quote should include and help with the cost.
Settling it with an installer
MCS advises that your installer can help, but that you should confirm with the local planning department whether planning permission is needed and get it in place before work starts (MCS). Ask each firm, in writing:
- Is the house listed, or in one of the 23 conservation areas?
- Do the panels stay within 0.2 m of the roof and below the ridge?
- Is anything going on a wall, balcony or flat roof, and if so, who applies?
- If an application is needed, is its cost in the quote, and does the contract start only once it is granted?
See what a quote should include for the other lines to check, and what solar costs for the price side.