Do You Need Planning Permission for Solar Panels in Pulborough?

The planning authority for Pulborough

Pulborough sits within the administrative area of Horsham District Council. For the majority of properties in the village, Horsham District Council is the planning authority for any application relating to solar panels.

The South Downs National Park does not extend into the main part of Pulborough. However, the southern edges of the parish approach the National Park boundary, and properties in those areas may be closer to the boundary than they appear on a standard postcode map. If your property is on the southern fringe of the settlement, it is worth checking both horsham.gov.uk and the SDNPA's interactive map at southdowns.gov.uk to confirm which authority covers you.

Permitted development in Pulborough

For most properties in Pulborough, domestic roof-mounted solar panels are permitted development under Part 14, Class A of the General Permitted Development Order 2015. This means no planning application is needed, provided the installation meets the standard conditions:

• –Panels protrude no more than 200mm from the roof surface.
• –Panels do not exceed the highest point of the existing roof.
• –Other Class A conditions are satisfied.

For properties outside conservation areas and Article 2(3) designated land, permitted development rights give considerable flexibility in how and where panels are positioned.

The Lower Street Conservation Area

Pulborough has a conservation area centred on Lower Street, which includes some of the oldest and most characterful parts of the village. Properties within this conservation area fall under Article 2(3) designation, which places additional restrictions on permitted development rights for solar panels.

The key restriction: solar panels on the principal elevation of a dwelling are not permitted development where that elevation faces and is visible from a highway. For a house fronting Lower Street or one of the other roads within the conservation area, front-elevation solar panels will require full planning permission from Horsham District Council.

Panels on rear elevations, side elevations, or other parts of a property that do not constitute the principal elevation fronting a highway may still fall within permitted development, subject to all other Class A conditions being met.

If your property is within the Lower Street Conservation Area and you are considering a front-elevation installation, we recommend checking with Horsham District Council's planning team before proceeding. An informal pre-application enquiry can clarify the position without committing you to a formal application.

Rural and edge-of-village properties

Pulborough is surrounded by farmland and open countryside, and a number of properties sit outside the main settlement in rural locations. For these properties — farmhouses, barn conversions, rural cottages, and homes on the edge of the village — the planning position depends on several factors.

Whether the property is listed affects things significantly: listed buildings are never permitted development for solar and always require both planning permission and listed building consent. Rural buildings, particularly older ones, are more likely to be listed than typical suburban housing, so it is always worth checking before assuming standard rules apply.

Proximity to the National Park boundary is also relevant. Properties just south of Pulborough in or near the Arun valley may be within the South Downs National Park, where different rules apply. Only an individual property check will confirm this with certainty.

Outbuildings, garages and barns

For properties in Pulborough with suitable outbuildings, garages, or agricultural buildings, these can offer an alternative or supplementary location for solar panels. A south-facing barn or garage roof positioned away from the front of the property can often accommodate a useful array, sometimes avoiding constraints that might apply to the main house.

In the conservation area, the planning position for outbuilding-mounted solar follows similar principles — the key question is whether the outbuilding's roof is on a principal elevation fronting a highway. For most rear-of-plot garages, this is unlikely to be an issue. For outbuildings that are themselves listed, listed building consent would be required.

Checking before you proceed

The most straightforward way to confirm the planning position for a specific property in Pulborough is to use the resources directly:

• –Horsham District Council — horsham.gov.uk — for planning queries, conservation area mapping, and pre-application enquiries.
• –South Downs National Park Authority — southdowns.gov.uk — to check whether a property near the village boundary falls within the National Park.

If in doubt, a brief pre-application enquiry to Horsham District Council is a practical first step. It removes uncertainty before work is committed to a particular design.

How Omni3 can help

Omni3 is based in Pulborough and has worked on properties across the village and the wider district. We understand the range of property types here — from the older terraced homes in Lower Street to the bungalows on the outskirts and the rural farmsteads beyond. We can provide technical drawings, specifications, and design information that may be needed to support a planning application or pre-application discussion. We do not provide planning advice, but we can work with your programme once the planning position is established. Contact us to discuss a solar installation in Pulborough.