Northern Ireland is a separate planning jurisdiction. What is published for householders is far less specific than in England or Scotland, and that is worth knowing before you plan anything.
Householder permitted development sits under the Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015, amended by the 2023 Order which expanded the scope for domestic microgeneration equipment. Non-domestic microgeneration up to 50 kW has been permitted since 30 April 2013.
NIDirect's guidance on photovoltaic panels says you "may have to get planning permission to fit a PV system, especially in conservation areas or on listed buildings", and advises: "Always check with your divisional planning office about planning issues before you have a system installed."
That is the substance of it. No projection limits. Nothing on flats. No mention of plug-in solar, balconies or wooden surfaces.
It would be easy to print England's numbers here. It would also be wrong.
| Jurisdiction | What the guidance gives a householder |
|---|---|
| England | Millimetre limits by case, and an explicit rule about plug-in solar on wooden walls, balconies and timber cladding |
| Scotland | Allowances by class, for the dwelling and for outbuildings separately |
| Northern Ireland | Check with your divisional planning office |
Northern Ireland is a separate planning jurisdiction with its own legislation. Figures from England or Scotland have no force here, and repeating them as though they did would be the sort of thing this network exists to avoid.
Ask your divisional planning office, in writing, describing exactly where the device would go and what it would be fixed to. Keep the reply. It is the only answer that will be worth anything if it is ever questioned.
If clearer Northern Ireland guidance is published, we will tell you.
This is not a mailing list and there is nothing to buy. Three questions on this page are still open. If any of them is answered, whether by the department, by the networks or by a change to the specification, you get one email saying which one and what it now says.