Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of facilitating the installation of solar panels on listed properties and properties in conservation areas.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policies that recognised that the installation of energy efficiency and low carbon heating measures in listed buildings and conservation areas are an important public benefit to be taken into account when determining planning applications.

We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.