But it could still be clearer and more comprehensive.

So here we bring together all the guidance, including parts that the Council (for some reason) does not include.

We get lots of residents asking us about this process. We hope this helps.

General guidance for solar panel installations

If your property is in St Albans District but outside of conservation areas, you usually won’t need planning permission to install solar panels. That’s because these installations are generally considered ‘permitted development’, provided you meet the following conditions:

• Your panels must not protrude more than 20cm beyond the wall or roof slope when measured horizontally.
• Panels must not be positioned higher than the main roof ridge line or the highest point of a flat roof.
• On a flat roof, solar equipment cannot be more than 60cm above the highest part of the roof (not including the chimney).
• You should position panels, where possible, to minimise their visual impact on the appearance of your building and the surrounding area.
• You must remove panels when they’re no longer in use.
• You cannot install panels on (or in the grounds of) a listed building or scheduled monument.

Important: If you’re a leaseholder, you may need permission from your landlord, freeholder or management company before installing solar panels.

For more detailed information, refer to the legislation on permitted development

Installing solar panels in conservation areas

If you live in a conservation area, you still have permitted development rights. But there are stricter guidelines you need to follow, as well as the ones above:

• You cannot install panels on walls that face the road.
• If possible, you should install panels on rear roof slopes or flat roofs, where they won’t affect the character of the area.
• If possible you should choose panels that are less conspicuous in terms of colour and finish.
• You should arrange the panels, cables and other equipment as neatly as possible, for example in a rectangle rather than spread around the roof.

Prior approval for flat roofs in conservation areas

If you want to install solar panels on a flat roof in a conservation area, you need ‘prior approval’ from the council first. 

Apply for prior approval

If prior approval is refused, you’ll need full planning permission.

When to get advice

You should get pre-planning advice or apply for a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC) (stalbans.gov.uk/pre-application-advice) if:

• you’re unsure whether your planned installation complies with the rules
• your panels will be visible from a road, a pavement, or a footpath that’s wide enough for a vehicle

If you apply for an LDC, you should include details of how you have sought to minimize the impact of the panels.

Installing solar panels in Article 4 Conservation Areas

If your property is in an Article 4 Conservation Area, you will need planning permission. This applies even where permitted development rights would normally allow installation without permission.

Find out if your property is within an Article 4 Direction area

Apply for planning permission online

Key considerations for Article 4 areas:

• If your roof is visible and made of slate, you’ll probably need to use slate-like panels.
• If your roof has red clay tiles, matching red in-roof panels might be allowed in some cases.
• All black in-roof panels might be suitable for concrete roofs, while rack-mounted solutions are an option for modern flat roofs.
• If your property is near listed buildings or significant historic views, in-roof solutions might not be suitable, even if your roof is concrete.
• You have more flexibility for rear-facing roofs or roofs that aren’t visible from a road or pavement, but your design must still respect the area’s character.

Make sure any cabling and equipment are discreetly positioned – for example, behind rainwater pipes or in boxing at ground level.

The post Guidance on Installing Solar Panels in St Albans District appeared first on St Albans District Green Party.

St Albans Green County and District Councillor Matt Fisher is leading by example on sustainable transport. He has been using an e-cargo bike to carry out council work across his patch.

The Hertfordshire-built Estarli bike has replaced diesel vans for many tasks. Matt uses it to transport tools for conservation work and collect recycling from local hubs.

“The thing that’s overwhelming is how easy stuff is to do, and how quick it is,” said Matt. “Doing this stuff in a van is just ridiculous.”

The bike has covered more than 100 zero-emission miles. It has saved over 50kg of CO2 and reduced van usage. Matt says it has also boosted staff efficiency and morale.

Green campaigning on wheels

Matt has taken the bike to local schools as part of clean air campaigns. Children and parents can see and try the bike for themselves.

“The cargo bike has made sustainability tangible,” Matt explained. “It’s leadership on wheels, and the school gate is the perfect starting line.”

The bike will soon be available for families to borrow for school runs. This gives them a chance to try active travel in real life.

Infrastructure needs work

Matt sees the project as part of a bigger picture for cycling in the county. He wants to use his County Councillor role to showcase what’s possible.

“Although we’ve got an appetite for cycling, we really need to do better on cycle lanes,” he said. “Work is being done, but we need to go much harder on it.”

The e-cargo bike was part funded through the Greener Together initiative. Matt hopes other councils will follow this model to promote sustainable transport.

“It’s about more than just transport,” he said. “It’s a platform for behaviour change, leadership, and local pride.”

The post Matt champions e-cargo bikes as green transport solution appeared first on St Albans District Green Party.

The Council’s handling of the so-called micro markets has been a debacle from start to finish. Now, to add insult to injury, the Council is proposing ignoring the promise of a 12 month trial, and making the new situation permanent. The new arrangement has only been up and running for 6 months, due to delays, and has raised hardly any extra money. Yet it has caused huge upset and worry for former street traders, and led to some of them giving up their business.

The Council report coming to committee acknowledges that take up has been slow – in fact on most days there are only 3 or 4 traders at these micro markets. The report also acknowledges the new markets are “unlikely to have any measurable impact on footfall or generate any measurable change in the city centre”.

There has been no consultation and the views of street traders who have been forced to pay astronomically increased fees have been completely ignored.

Green councillor Simon Grover, who represents the city centre, said, “I’m sorry to say that this seems to be yet another example of the Council shunning consultation and ploughing ahead with bad plans just to save a few pounds. You would think after all the controversy this Council has caused for the market over the last few years that they would leave well alone. But no, they seem determined to cause more damage, and upset more traders, while bringing no benefit to residents who use the markets.”

The post Greens back market traders appeared first on St Albans District Green Party.

Members of St Albans District Green Party travelled to Ipswich this weekend, to campaign with hundreds of other Greens in the parliamentary seat there.

Greens are the main opposition to the Conservatives in much of Suffolk and Norfolk, and campaigners were out in force to get the Green message across.

Leading Green Party people joined campaigners, including Caroline Lucas – pictured here with the St Albans Green team.

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Matt becomes the first ever Green County Councillor in St Albans.

 Full St Albans results here.

Matt joins a team of 5 Green councillors at Herts County Council, who look likely to form part of the administration there alongside the Lib Dems and Labour.

It was another record-breaking set of local elections for the Green Party across the country. For 8 straight years, Greens have increased their councillor numbers – the only party to do so. There are now 859 Green councillors on 181 councils.

Why not join the Greens today?

The post Matt Fisher elected to county council appeared first on St Albans District Green Party.

Simon told a Council committee: “St Albans Council should be bold about opposing the proposed abolition of our local government structures. I have heard other councillors say they don’t like it, yet we are not telling the government that. We should be clear that we are not convinced that any benefits that have been proposed by the government outweigh the huge disadvantages.

“Those disadvantages are numerous. First, there’s the whole question of whether the reorganisation will save any money at all. Nobody really knows. Second, we know that residents will be against this. Any polling that’s been done has shown that residents are against bigger councils, because they understand the value of local representation. Undoubtedly, it reduces democracy, that’s just an objective fact

“Third, there will be huge transition costs for both local government and national government at a time when there is no money in the pot. Yet suddenly we can supposedly afford a multi-billion pound pointless transformation for local government. Then there is the massive amount of work involved for our officers and the civil service, which means they can’t be doing other things, which should be higher priority.

“We’ve seen that other councils around the country are coming out and explicitly saying that they oppose this proposal. Doing so is not radical – it’s a perfectly reasonable response to a white paper that affects us as a council.

“We need to stand up and be counted and have our voice heard on this. We need to say to the minister that this council is opposed to these proposals, at the very least in their current form.”

The post Simon urges council to oppose reorganisation appeared first on St Albans District Green Party.

Cllr Fisher is inviting residents to sign an open letter to Hertfordshire County Council, highlighting the urgent need for accessible, sustainable, and convenient charging solutions to support the increasing number of EV owners in our community. Many people want to switch to electric vehicles, but without off-street parking, they have no easy way to charge. The council must act to remove this barrier.

The case for cross-pavement EV charging:

• Better access – Thousands of residents depend on street parking. Without a way to charge at home, many are locked out of the EV transition. The Council could identify safe cross-pavement charging that would provide a practical fix.
• Environmental benefits – A lack of charging options forces people to keep using petrol and diesel cars. Supporting home charging will accelerate the shift to cleaner transport and cut emissions.
• Economic boost – Encouraging EV adoption will create demand for charging infrastructure, leading to local job creation and investment in green technology.
• Community support – Residents, environmental groups, and industry experts back this idea, recognising the need for sustainable transport solutions.

Cllr Matt Fisher commented:

“Introducing cross-pavement EV charging is a crucial step in making electric vehicles accessible to more residents. This initiative not only supports our environmental goals but also enhances the well-being of our community. We strongly urge Hertfordshire County Council to consider this proposal and take meaningful steps toward a greener, more sustainable future.”

The Green Party encourages all residents with on-street parking to sign the open letter and support the call for safe, viable options for cross-pavement EV charging. Together, we can make a lasting impact on our environment and pave the way for a cleaner, greener future.

Sign the Open Letter Here

The post Matt fisher campaigns on ev charging appeared first on St Albans District Green Party.

While acknowledging some positive changes resulting from committee scrutiny, Cllr Grover expressed alarm over several issues, including growing budget gaps for future years, low reserves, service reductions (including public toilet closures and cuts to community grants), and insensitive implementation of increased charges that fail to consider vulnerable residents.

Cllr Grover particularly emphasized the disappointing progress on what was previously described as the administration’s “top priority” – fighting the climate emergency.

Citing a timely report from the Climate Change Committee published on February 26th, Cllr Grover noted that local government climate action remains “inconsistent and hindered by a lack of clarity on responsibilities, limited resources, and short-term funding” – a description that aptly characterizes St Albans’ situation.

Key Areas of Concern

Despite St Albans District Council pledging to reach net zero by 2030, critical areas of emissions reduction remain neglected:

• Transport: As the district’s largest source of emissions (36% of the total carbon footprint), road transport emissions have barely decreased in over a decade. The Climate Emergency UK scorecard gave St Albans a concerning 3% rating for transport actions, reflecting a continued prioritization of road traffic over sustainable transport, failure to implement comprehensive cycling infrastructure, and unreliable public transport.
• Home Energy Efficiency: Over half of St Albans homes remain rated EPC D or lower, with 11,500 homes lacking adequate loft insulation and 12,400 needing cavity wall insulation. At the current pace, retrofitting the district’s housing stock will take decades, despite Friends of the Earth advising that at least 4,000 homes per year need insulation upgrades to meet targets.
• Heating: Progress on decarbonizing heating systems is particularly poor, with only around 240 heat pumps installed district-wide. The councillor called for investment in mass heat pump rollout and district heating schemes instead of continuing reliance on outdated, polluting gas systems.
• Planning Policy: The district’s planning framework received just 9% in the Climate Emergency UK rating for planning and land use, reflecting years without serious policies to mandate energy-efficient new builds, support renewables, or integrate low-carbon transport into development plans.

Not on Track for 2030 Target

Simon emphasized that St Albans is not on track to meet its Net Zero 2030 pledge, which required a 64% reduction in emissions by 2024/25. After five years, the council is already two years behind on aims to reduce corporate greenhouse gas emissions.

The current sustainability and climate crisis strategy was criticized for lacking urgency and measurable objectives, with emissions reductions so far largely coming from national energy grid decarbonization rather than bold local policies.

Greens have urged immediate prioritization of transport reform, home retrofitting, clean heating, and climate-conscious planning, warning that further delays will result in failure to meet the net zero commitment.

The post Greens raise alarm on lack of climate action at council appeared first on St Albans District Green Party.

Green Party Councillor Matt Fisher has officially launched his campaign for the upcoming Hertfordshire County Council elections, pledging to champion sustainability and community-led initiatives during a crucial period of local government transformation.

Speaking at his campaign launch event, Cllr Fisher emphasized the significance of the election amid the planned transition to a unitary authority, describing it as “the biggest shake-up to local democracy in decades.”

“This campaign isn’t just about filling a seat – it’s about shaping the future of local government,” Fisher told supporters. “With the upcoming transition to a unitary authority, decisions that impact our lives – on transport, housing, social care, and the environment – will now be made within a new structure.”

Matt brings considerable experience to his campaign. As well as being a serving councillor for Clarence Ward, he stood as the Green Party’s first-ever Police and Crime Commissioner candidate in Hertfordshire, where he secured over 26,000 votes across the county. His campaign builds on recent Green Party momentum in the area, following strong performances in recent district council and general election contests.

The candidate outlined his vision for the Central Division, focusing on practical environmental action and community improvement. “We need to stop making excuses, stop kicking problems down the road, and start making real progress – right here, right now,” he stated.

Key priorities in Matt’s campaign include:

• Implementing sustainable transport solutions and improved infrastructure for walking and cycling
• Protecting and enhancing local services
• Ensuring environmental considerations are at the forefront of decision-making in the new unitary authority

The campaign will run for 80 days, with Matt and his team planning an extensive program of community engagement. “Campaigns aren’t won in council chambers,” Fisher noted. “They’re won on doorsteps, in conversations, and in communities.”

Residents interested in learning more about the campaign or getting involved can contact the St Albans Green Party for further information.

The post Matt Fisher launches county election bid appeared first on St Albans District Green Party.

The Council issued the draft plan in 2024 and consulted residents. The updated plan has been further circulated for comment from councillors. The Council has not announced when the final plan will be published.

Our response to St Albans’ draft Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) has called for significant improvements, highlighting several key areas that need strengthening. Our consultation feedback identifies gaps in public health integration, recommending closer collaboration with public health teams and clearer links between air quality actions and local health priorities.

Our response emphasizes the need for greater focus on PM2.5 pollution, particularly from domestic wood burning, which contributes 27% of these harmful emissions. We call for expanded smoke control areas and better enforcement of solid fuel regulations.

Transparency and communication emerge as crucial areas for development, with our suggestions for a dedicated air quality website and real-time alert system for poor air quality days. We also highlight the importance of establishing clear timelines and measurable outcomes for initiatives such as the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan and High Street closure considerations.

Our submission includes practical recommendations such as implementing Clean Air Zones, restricting resident permits for diesel cars, and creating zero-emission loading bays and taxi ranks. We also suggest better monitoring of air pollution around schools and rail freight sites, alongside improvements to cycling infrastructure through secure storage and a bike hire scheme.

We emphasize that without specific timescales and quantifiable targets, many of these initiatives may fail to deliver meaningful improvements to local air quality.

The post Major green response to air quality plan appeared first on St Albans District Green Party.