Solar Panels and Wind Turbines - Micro Renewable Installations

A guide to the need for planning permission.

‘Micro Renewables’ is the term given to small scale renewable technologies, such as solar or wind,  that are of a scale suitable for domestic properties.

If Government targets are to be met, a greater diversity of renewable energy schemes will need to be developed. East Devon District Council supports people’s attempts to provide for renewable energy schemes. However, in certain circumstances planning permission will be required, and this note provides a quick reference to enable householders to make an informed decision. You are strongly advised to seek written confirmation from the Council as to whether your proposed installation requires planning permission. For this, please complete, and submit to the Council, our online Householder Enquiry form or for a downloadable version of this form go to our downloadbale forms page. This form should be completed with the necessary information about the position and size of the installation and then returned to the Council for a written view as to whether planning permission is required.

Please note the following:  

  1. Not all houses have the same “Permitted Development Rights”, and you should check with the Council before carrying out any work.
  2. It is an offence to alter a Listed Building or attach anything to either the main Listed Building or a building within its curtilage without seeking a prior grant of Listed Building Consent from the planning department.
  3. It is stressed that the information on this page is a guide only and, should you be in any doubt, please contact the Planning Department at East Devon District Council for further advice.
  4. For the purposes of micro renewable installations (except wind turbines), ‘house’ includes a building which consists wholly of flats.

Solar Hot Water Panels and Solar Photovoltaics installed on a house or a building within its curtilage

These installations do not usually require planning permission provided:

  • The panels do not project more than 20 centimetres above the roof slope.
  • The highest part of the panels is not higher than the highest part of the roof (excluding any chimney)
  • The panels are not installed on a building within the curtilage of a listed building.

In the case of land within a conservation area or World Heritage Site, planning permission will be required if the panels are visible from a highway and installed on a principal or side wall of the house, or the wall of an outbuilding.


Solar Hot Water Panels and Solar Photovoltaics installed as a free-standing structure

These installations do not usually require planning permission provided:

  • There is not more than one solar hot water or solar photovoltaic structure within the curtilage.
  • The installation is not over 4 metres in height, within 5 metres of the boundary or within the curtilage of a listed building.
  • The surface area of the panels does not exceed 9 square metres and no dimension of the array exceeds 3 metres.

In the case of land within a conservation area or World Heritage Site, planning permission will be required if the structure is visible from a highway.


Ground and Water Source Heat Pumps

These installations do not usually require planning permission if they are within the curtilage of the house.


A flue forming part of a biomass heating or combined heat and power system

These installations do not usually require planning permission provided:

  • The height of the flue does not exceed the height of the highest part of the roof (excluding any chimney) by 1 metre or more.

In the case of land within a conservation area or World Heritage Site, planning permission will be required if the flue would be installed on a wall or roof slope forming the principal or side elevation of the house and would be visible from a highway.


Wind Turbines

If the installation is physically attached to the house, it would require planning permission if any part of it extends above the highest part of the roof (excluding any chimney), or it projects closer to the highway than the principal or side elevation of the house.

If the installation is free-standing in the garden, it will require planning permission if any part of the installation is higher than 3 metres.

In practice, this means most domestic wind turbines will require planning permission as it is desirable in order to achieve maximum efficiency to have the installation as high as possible.

Page last updated on 3 February 2012