Woman to launch challenge against ban on solar panels on her home

A view of the property where solar panels were added without planning permissionar panels were fitted
The homeowner's home is located to the rear of these terraced houses in Ashbourne (Image credit: Google Street View)

A homeowner has said she is challenging her local council after being told to remove solar panels from the roof of her home. 

Mary Smail, 63, originally asked Derbyshire Dales District Council for permission to add solar panels to the roof of her home in Ashbourne in the Peak District in 2020, but was refused on the grounds that her home is listed and inside a conservation area. 

Sam Webb

Sam is based in Coventry and has been a news reporter for nearly 20 years. His work has featured in the Mirror, The Sun, MailOnline, the Independent, and news outlets throughout the world.  As a copywriter, he has written for clients as diverse as Saint-Gobain, Michelin, Halfords Autocentre, Great British Heating, and Irwin Industrial Tools. During the pandemic, he converted a van into a mini-camper and is currently planning to convert his shed into an office and Star Wars shrine.

Read more
A white house with a stone front wall and a log barn to the side with a long driveway
Homeowner has solar panel application rejected — only to find 2,000 acre solar farm is approved next door
A man installing a solar panel on a roof
Sunshine Bill requiring solar panels to be mandatory rejected in parliament
Sarah Beeny with her husband Gareth and their 4 sons sat un front of their white self build property and greenhouse in a large front garden
Sarah Beeny faces demolition order for £3million home after faltering in her latest planning application submission
EPC ratings next to a small house
What homeowners and landlords need to do to meet new EPC standards by 2030
A bar inside an outbuilding with lighting illuminating the cabinets
Wealthy businessman battles council over 10-year land use claim for outbuildings and tennis court
Terrace of medieval cottages in street with different coloured exteriors
9 things I wish I’d known before buying a listed building
Latest in
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves 11 Downing Street, in central London, on March 26, 2025, to present her Spring Budget Statement at the House of Commons
Spring Budget brings major boost for homebuilders, homeowners and housing market
Aerial view, Bourton on the Hill, Cotswold Hills, Cotswolds, UK
The 'Best Places to Live' in the UK in 2025 has been revealed
Sarah Beeny with her husband Gareth and their 4 sons sat un front of their white self build property and greenhouse in a large front garden
Sarah Beeny faces demolition order for £3million home after faltering in her latest planning application submission
A stone church with gated walkway to the front door and surrounding garden lawn
What kind of home could you create out of a former church? Here's your chance to find out
kitchen with sage green units, part marble effect tiled splashback, forest inspired wallpaper mural above, brass wall lights, black pendant lights, hob on worktop and kitchen accessories
Kitchen wallpaper ideas will change the way you view your walls. Here's 14 ideas to whet your appetite
A brick house with a big plastic shark sticking out the roof
The Shark House that sparked one of the most famous planning disputes in the country is now available to rent
Latest in News
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves 11 Downing Street, in central London, on March 26, 2025, to present her Spring Budget Statement at the House of Commons
Spring Budget brings major boost for homebuilders, homeowners and housing market
Aerial view, Bourton on the Hill, Cotswold Hills, Cotswolds, UK
The 'Best Places to Live' in the UK in 2025 has been revealed
Sarah Beeny with her husband Gareth and their 4 sons sat un front of their white self build property and greenhouse in a large front garden
Sarah Beeny faces demolition order for £3million home after faltering in her latest planning application submission
A stone church with gated walkway to the front door and surrounding garden lawn
What kind of home could you create out of a former church? Here's your chance to find out
A brick house with a big plastic shark sticking out the roof
The Shark House that sparked one of the most famous planning disputes in the country is now available to rent
young man struggles to pay bills
Soaring service charges leave flat owners struggling financially