Of everything a council considers when it decides a canopy application, glare is the matter most likely to surprise a first-time buyer. Panels are designed to absorb light, so it is easy to assume they cannot dazzle anyone. Reflection is nonetheless a recognised planning concern, and in England it is named in the rules.
This article explains what the glare question is, when it comes up and how to prepare for it. It sits alongside our planning permission guide for solar carports and canopies, which covers the consent routes in full.
Why glare is in the rules
Since 21 December 2023, Class OA of Part 14 of the General Permitted Development Order has made a solar canopy permitted development within an area lawfully used as off-street parking, other than parking for a house or a block of flats. It is a prior approval route. Before work starts you apply to the local planning authority for a determination on whether prior approval is needed for the canopy’s siting, design and external appearance, in particular glare.
That wording matters. Glare is not an optional extra the council may happen to mention; the right is conditional on the authority having the chance to look at it. In practice, the applicant should expect to say something about it.
What a glare assessment is
A glare assessment is a short technical statement that looks at whether sunlight reflected from the panels could reach sensitive places and cause a nuisance or a hazard. It normally covers:
- The layout and tilt. Panel orientation and pitch decide the direction of reflected light. Canopies are usually at a shallow pitch of around 8 to 12 degrees, and our design page explains why.
- Receptors. Neighbouring homes and offices, roads and junctions, railway lines and, near an aerodrome, aircraft approaches.
- Timing. When in the day and year the sun, panel and receptor line up.
- Mitigation. Anti-reflective coatings, a change of tilt, screening or a change of layout where a real problem is found.
For most car parks surrounded by other commercial land the conclusion is short: little or no reflection reaches a sensitive receptor. For a canopy beside a main road, a school playground, a rail line or a flight path, a more careful look is needed.
When to expect it to matter
The sites where glare takes real attention are predictable:
- Near an airport or airfield. Aviation operators consult on solar proposals within their safeguarding zones.
- Beside busy roads or junctions. The risk is to drivers approaching the canopy at low sun angles.
- Close to homes. The 10 metre separation from the curtilage of a dwellinghouse in Class OA exists partly for amenity reasons, and a closer site is outside the right altogether.
- On article 2(3) land. In conservation areas, National Landscapes, the Broads, National Parks and World Heritage Sites, prior approval also looks at the canopy’s appearance on that land.
How to keep the application simple
Councils decide prior approvals on a fixed clock. If the authority has not told you within 56 days whether prior approval is given or refused, the development may begin. Complete information at the start avoids a request that stops the clock. A sensible pack contains:
- A site plan and elevations showing the canopy’s height and its relation to the nearest homes, roads and railways.
- The panel pitch and orientation.
- A short glare statement, written by someone who can show their working, concluding either that no receptor is affected or what mitigation is proposed.
- Confirmation of the height limit. A canopy that rises above 4 m falls outside Class OA and needs a full application; our article on clearance height for vans and HGVs explains how the two interact.
Scotland and Wales
Scotland’s Class 9M has its own prior approval structure and a 4 metre limit measured from the parking surface. Wales does not currently have a Class OA equivalent, so a canopy there needs a full planning application, and glare is then one consideration among many. Check the current position with the local authority.
What it costs and who does it
For a typical car park the statement is a modest piece of work and is usually part of the design package. It is worth asking your designer whether it is included before you accept a price, and whether the person writing it is independent of the supplier. The point of the exercise is to give the officer something they can rely on.
If you want a view of the likely consent route for your own site, including whether glare is likely to be a live issue, you can request a free feasibility assessment. We reply by email. For the wider picture on what a solar panel canopy involves, start there.
Prior approval wording checked against our planning page on 18 October 2026. Rules differ by nation and local authority; confirm the position with the planning authority.