REX / Conservation area solar
Solar Panels in Westminster Conservation Areas
Westminster has 56 conservation areas, and much of the borough is in one. Solar is still possible in many cases, but the rules depend on the building and the street. This guide covers homes, flats and commercial buildings.
Guidance checked 16 October 2026. England only.
Homes in Westminster
Westminster Council's guidance follows the national rules. For a house, solar panels are permitted development, with no planning application, if:
- On a pitched roof, they stick out no more than 20cm and sit no higher than the highest part of the roof.
- On a flat roof in a conservation area, you have asked the council for prior approval first, and the panels rise no more than 60cm above the roof.
- They are not fitted to a wall that faces a highway or path. In a conservation area that needs planning permission.
- Stand-alone panels are no higher than 2m if they sit between the house and the road, with prior approval in a conservation area.
If you live in a flat, check with the council and your freeholder before planning anything. Westminster's solar-specific guidance covers houses and blocks of flats, but roof ownership, lease consent and the details of the proposal still matter.
Listed buildings
Westminster has a very large number of listed buildings. If yours is listed, or sits within the grounds of a listed building, the usual solar permitted development rights do not apply. Ask the council about planning permission and any listed building consent needed for solar. Historic England says consent is needed for any solar panels on a listed building.
Article 4 Directions
Westminster has made Article 4 Directions in some parts of the borough, including eight conservation areas where some permitted development rights have been removed. The council's page does not say whether solar is covered in each one. Use the council's Article 4 map to check an address, or ask us to point you to it.
Commercial buildings in Westminster
Roof solar on a commercial building can be permitted development nationally, subject to conditions. Since December 2023 there is no size cap. Larger systems need the council's prior approval for design, appearance and glare. In a conservation area you cannot fit panels on a wall that faces a road under those rights, and ground-mounted panels near the road are limited to 2m with prior approval.
Westminster's own prior approval page still describes this as "up to 1 megawatt". That limit no longer applies in the national rules, so check with the council about your case. Listed buildings and buildings within the grounds of a listed building are outside the rights. In central London there are often more people to speak to: freeholders, managing agents, tenants and insurers. Sort these out early.
How to check your building
- Is the address in a conservation area? Westminster has an online map.
- Is it listed? Check the National Heritage List for England.
- Is there an Article 4 Direction? Use the council's Article 4 map.
- Who owns the roof, and what does the lease say?
What we do
Send us the address and a few photos or a roof plan. REX can advise on conservation matters and discuss whether the roof may be suitable for solar. Westminster must confirm which consents apply. We cannot promise what the council will decide, and nothing here is legal advice.
Questions people ask
Do I need planning permission in a Westminster conservation area?
Not always. Panels on a wall facing the road and work involving listed buildings need particular checks. Flat-roof solar on homes in conservation areas needs prior approval rather than a full planning application where the permitted development conditions are met.
Can a block of flats fit solar?
Sometimes. It depends on the roof, the freeholder and the council's view. Ask the council first.
Is commercial solar easier?
Nationally, yes. The size cap has gone and roof solar is permitted development. Larger systems need prior approval, and listed buildings are excluded.
Where is the council's own guidance?
Westminster publishes householder solar guidance and a prior approval page on its website.
Talk to REX about your property
Considering solar in a conservation area? Send the address and roof photos with your enquiry. REX can advise on conservation matters and discuss the options, without promising consent or an outcome.
Permitted development is subject to all applicable conditions, not only the limits summarised here. Equipment should, so far as practicable, minimise its effect on the building and area, and be removed when no longer needed. Ask about all siting, boundary, area and other limits for a ground-mounted proposal.
Official guidance
This is general guidance, not legal or planning advice. Requirements depend on the property and can change. Confirm the position with the council and any relevant freeholder or estate before starting work.