Solar Planning Support — Honest Expectation Management
Most rooftop solar is permitted development. Most ground-mount solar above 9m² is not. KMM's planning consultancy supports clients through full planning applications, pre-application advice, glint/glare assessments, conservation-area constraints and listed-building constraints — with honest expectation management on timeline and approval likelihood.
⚖ For farms with ground-mount aspirations, commercial sites in sensitive locations, sites near AONBs, listed buildings, or sites with non-standard configurations.
Do I need planning permission for solar in the UK?
Short answer. Most rooftop solar on commercial and domestic buildings is permitted development — no planning needed. Ground-mount solar above 9m² generally requires full planning permission, and listed buildings, conservation areas, AONBs and National Parks all add constraints. KMM advises on the route before designing the system.
Source: UK planning policy framework, GPDO 2015 as amended.
Planning support for farms
Farms are the most common KMM planning support engagement. Agricultural rooftop PV is generally permitted development under Class A of the GPDO (covering agricultural buildings on holdings over 5 hectares), which makes most farm rooftop work straightforward. Ground-mount on farms is where planning conversations get real — anything above 9m² needs full planning, and arrays of meaningful scale will often trigger pre-application advice with the LPA.
Complex commercial sites
Listed-building solar, conservation-area work, sites near AONBs or National Parks, sites adjacent to airports (glint/glare considerations), multi-tenant developments and sites with non-standard configurations all benefit from a planning consultancy lens before the design is fixed. KMM scopes the constraint set as part of the initial site visit.
Note for Donovan / Michael: Brief was clipped at this service. Content above is consultancy-positioned but light on specifics for glint/glare, EIA thresholds, named LPA experience. Awaiting full brief.
Request a planning scoping conversation
The form below goes straight to Steve or Kieren. No call-centre, no scripts. We respond to every enquiry 9-5, Monday to Friday.
Request a planning scoping conversation
PD confirmation, pre-application strategy, full planning support — honest about timelines and outcomes.
