Do I need planning permission for solar panels in Marlow's conservation area?

Not usually for panels on a house's pitched roof, provided the home is not listed and the panels meet the permitted development limits. Under the rules as amended in August 2026, the Marlow Conservation Area rules out panels on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure fronting a highway, not on roof slopes. Roof-slope panels must still project no more than 0.2 metres and sit no higher than the highest part of the roof, excluding chimneys. A flat-roof array needs an application to the council for a determination as to whether prior approval is required before work starts. An Article 4 Direction can remove rights on particular streets. Planning Data records one north of Bovingdon Heights in Marlow, but it covers gates, fences, walls and other enclosures rather than roofs. We check your address first.