Do WGC business premises need EMS consent for solar?

If the premises sit inside the scheme area, yes. The Estate Management Scheme is a control on external alterations rather than a domestic-only planning rule, and it names solar panels among the roof works that need consent. It also sits alongside planning permission rather than replacing it, so clearing one does not clear the other. The scheme covers most of the town but not every address, so the first step on a commercial roof is the same as on a house: check the address on the scheme map before any design work, then budget the application into the programme.