Solar panels in Hounslow: from Bedford Park to Feltham

Hounslow runs from the Victorian and Edwardian streets of Chiswick and Brentford, past the Thames at Isleworth and Strand on the Green, out to Hounslow, Heston, Cranford, Feltham and Bedfont near Heathrow. For most homes in the borough, solar is straightforward. The points worth knowing before you plan an installation are the 29 conservation areas, two long-standing Article 4 directions in Chiswick and Gunnersbury that control roof materials, and the fact that Hounslow is not served by UK Power Networks.

Hounslow's 29 conservation areas

Hounslow Council lists 29 conservation areas. Many cluster in the east of the borough, including Old Chiswick, Strand on the Green, Turnham Green, Grove Park, Chiswick House, Stamford Brook and Kew Bridge. Others sit further west, such as Isleworth Riverside, Spring Grove, Osterley Park, Heston Village, Cranford Village, Hanworth Park, Bedfont Green and Feltham Green and Town Centre.

Under the national rules, the restriction in a conservation area or World Heritage Site applies to panels on a wall fronting a highway, not to a roof slope. Panels on a pitched roof, including a front roof slope, are normally permitted development as long as they sit no more than 0.2 m proud of the roof and below the ridge. Since 27 August 2026, a flat roof in a conservation area needs a short prior approval application to the council first. Our guide to planning permission for solar panels in London explains these rules in more detail. Listed buildings are different: they need planning permission and listed building consent.

Bedford Park and Gunnersbury Park: Article 4 and your roof

Two conservation areas carry Article 4(2) directions: Bedford Park (the Hounslow side of an area that continues into Ealing) and Gunnersbury Park. These directions were confirmed in 2001, before householder permitted development rights for solar were introduced in 2008, so they could not have removed the right to fit solar panels. The council's guidance for them does not mention solar.

What they do control is the roof itself. The guidance says that changing the type of roof covering needs planning permission, that natural slate or clay tiles are expected where they were the original material, and that new dormers and rooflights are generally limited to the rear. Altering or removing chimneystacks also needs permission.

That matters if your roof needs work before solar goes on. In Bedford Park or Gunnersbury Park, re-roofing in a different material may need permission even though the panels themselves do not. Our article on whether you need a new roof before solar covers how to decide, and like-for-like slate or clay is usually the simplest route.

Hounslow's other Article 4 directions deal with change of use (houses to small HMOs, and commercial or office buildings to homes). Based on the council's own descriptions, none of them concerns roofs or solar.

Flats along the river and in the town centres

If you live in one of the apartment blocks in Brentford, Isleworth or Hounslow town centre, the rules changed recently. Since 27 August 2026, blocks of flats have permitted development rights for solar for the first time. The right belongs to the block, so it is the freeholder or management company that installs, not an individual flat owner. If you own a flat, the first step is a conversation with whoever manages the building.

Connecting to the grid in Hounslow

Unlike much of London, Hounslow sits in the area of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), which runs the local network from Chiswick out to Feltham and Heston. Neighbouring Richmond upon Thames is served by UK Power Networks, so we confirm the network operator for your exact address. Most home systems are notified to SSEN after installation, while larger systems may need approval first. Our guide to DNOs and export limits explains what this means for system size, and we handle the DNO paperwork as part of every installation.

We check the planning designations for your address before we quote, including any Article 4 controls on your roof. To get started, request a solar and battery quotation.

Local planning information checked against London Borough of Hounslow sources on 28 October 2026. Planning designations change, so this is general guidance, not advice for a specific property.