The price of a planning appeal for a private padel court in Greater Manchester ran to £80,000, more than the average UK solar-plus-battery system costs five times over.
As the Manchester Evening News reported, the homeowner won their appeal against the council’s refusal to allow floodlights on the court. But the story is not about padel. It is about a planning system that treats a heat pump or a solar array with the same suspicion as a floodlit tennis court, and how homeowners can avoid being the next test case.
What this means for your solar panels and heat pump
The same council that fought floodlights can, and does, impose conditions on permitted development for renewable technologies. Solar panels on a front roof slope, an air-source heat pump within one metre of a boundary, or a flue on a conservation-area wall, all can trigger a prior-approval process. Ofgem data shows 1.3 million UK homes now have solar PV, but the number subject to enforcement notices is rising. The Planning Inspectorate handled 67 appeals on solar-related conditions in 2024, up from 42 in 2022.
The catch is that permitted development rights are not absolute. They come with size limits, noise limits and location rules. Exceed them, or install in a conservation area without consent, and you face the same appeal route as the padel court owner. The difference is that a heat pump appeal costs a typical £3,500 in fees and surveyor time, whereas a solar array appeal can run to £5,000 if it involves a listed building.
Who qualifies, and who doesn’t
The rules are clear for most homes. An air-source heat pump is permitted development if the unit is at least one metre from the boundary and the noise level at the nearest neighbour does not exceed 42 decibels. Solar panels on a rear or side roof are fine; on a front roof in a conservation area, they require planning permission. EV chargers are permitted up to 0.2 cubic metres in volume. But the padel court case shows that councils are willing to test even minor conditions. The homeowner’s appeal succeeded because the floodlights were dimmable and screened, a lesson for anyone installing external equipment: make it unobtrusive, and document everything.
Yet the Energy Saving Trust advises that the majority of heat pump installations in England do not require planning permission. The problem arises when a council receives a complaint from a neighbour. That is the moment a permitted-development installation becomes an enforcement case. The padel court owner’s victory is reassuring, but it cost £80,000. Most homeowners cannot afford that kind of test case.
What it costs a typical 3-bed semi
A standard air-source heat pump installation for a 3-bed semi costs between £7,000 and £13,000 under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. A pre-application planning enquiry with the local council costs nothing and takes about four weeks. A full planning application for a heat pump where permitted development does not apply costs £462 in England. A planning appeal costs £2,000 to £5,000 depending on whether you use a planning consultant. The padel court owner’s £80,000 bill included barristers and expert witnesses, extreme, but a warning.
For solar panels, the numbers are similar. A 4 kW system costs a typical £6,000–£8,000. A planning appeal on a refused solar installation adds 50–80% to the total project cost. The government’s own impact assessment for the 2024 permitted development changes noted that the average homeowner does not budget for planning risk. They should.
How to avoid the same fight
Three steps, in order. First, check your local council’s website for any Article 4 direction, these remove permitted development rights in specific streets or conservation areas. Second, speak to the planning officer before you buy the equipment. A 15-minute conversation can reveal whether your heat pump location will trigger a complaint. Third, if you are in a conservation area or a listed building, assume you need full planning permission and budget for the £462 application fee.
The padel court owner won. But the real victory for UK homeowners would be a planning system that treats a heat pump as infrastructure, not a development. Until that happens, the cheapest way to win is not to have the fight at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in most cases. Permitted development rights for air-source heat pumps are restricted in conservation areas, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and World Heritage Sites. You must apply for full planning permission. The same applies to solar panels on a front roof slope visible from the street.
The council can investigate and issue an enforcement notice if the installation breaches permitted development limits. You then have the right to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, but the process costs £2,000–£5,000 in typical cases. Pre-installation consultation with neighbours can prevent complaints.
