Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Belper and Milford conservation area
In the Belper and Milford conservation area (Amber Valley), external wall insulation needs planning permission, and so does an air source heat pump on a wall or roof facing the road; one at the back or side, internal and loft insulation and solar panels on a roof slope normally do not. The area has 210 listed buildings; on a listed building solar panels and heat pumps are not permitted development at all and need planning permission and listed building consent. 1,722 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 56.0% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 81.9% heat with a gas boiler and 62.3% are rated D–G; 14 have a heat pump. EPC register November 2026; rules as at 21 October 2026.
Data: EPC register November 2026 (latest certificate per home), conservation area boundaries 3 November 2026, permitted development rules as at 21 October 2026 · calculated 5 November 2026 · Methodology and sources
1,722homes with an energy certificate
56.0%solid walls, no insulation
81.9%heated by a gas boiler
14heat pumps
Article 4: Amber Valley does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Belper and Milford
Work (house, not listed)
In a conservation area
Rule
Air source heat pump on a wall or roof facing the road, or nearer the road than the house
Planning permission needed
Part 14 Class G, G.1(j)
Air source heat pump at the back or side (outdoor unit up to 1.5 m³, MCS Planning Standards, one per house — two on a detached house)
No permission needed (permitted development), unless an Article 4 direction removes it — check with the council
Part 14 Class G
Solar panels on a pitched roof (up to 0.2 m proud, not above the ridge)
No permission needed (permitted development), unless an Article 4 direction removes it — check with the council
Part 14 Class A, A.2(c)
Solar panels on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure facing the road
Planning permission needed
Part 14 Class A, A.2(e)
Solar panels on a flat roof (up to 0.6 m above the roof)
Prior approval of appearance from the council, unless an Article 4 direction removes it — check with the council
Replacement windows and doors of similar appearance
No permission needed (permitted development), unless an Article 4 direction removes it — check with the council
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: 210 in the area (grade I: 1, II*: 15). The table is for houses that are not listed: on a listed building, solar panels and air source heat pumps are not permitted development at all (they need planning permission), and any of these works needs listed building consent.
Flats: 23% of the certified homes here are flats or maisonettes. Homes in a block of flats have no householder rights for alterations; heat pumps and solar have their own, tighter rules for blocks of flats.
The homes in the area (latest certificate per home, n = 1,722)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
965
56.0%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
320
18.6%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
192
11.1%
Solid wall, internal insulation
73
4.2%
Cavity wall, filled
70
4.1%
Cavity wall, unfilled
49
2.8%
Solid wall, insulated
27
1.6%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
8
0.5%
Other or not known
6
0.3%
Solid wall, partly insulated
5
0.3%
Timber frame
3
0.2%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
2
0.1%
Solid wall, external insulation
2
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
1,411
81.9%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
276
16.0%
Heat pump
14
0.8%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
12
0.7%
Oil
5
0.3%
Communal heating
3
0.2%
LPG
1
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
303
17.6%
Under 200 mm
360
20.9%
200 mm or more
509
29.6%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
163
9.5%
Flat or other home above
216
12.5%
Other
171
9.9%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
1,353
78.6%
Single glazed
304
17.7%
Secondary glazing
60
3.5%
Other
3
0.2%
Triple glazed
2
0.1%
BCDE
Energy rating: A 3 (0.2%) · B 193 (11.2%) · C 453 (26.3%) · D 652 (37.9%) · E 321 (18.6%) · F 75 (4.4%) · G 25 (1.5%). Houses and bungalows: 77% of the homes; solar panels on 0.3% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 14 February 1975.
Compared with Amber Valley and England
Share of homes
Belper and Milford
All 29 areas in Amber Valley
England
Solid walls, no insulation
56.0%
56.7%
48.7%
Gas boiler
81.9%
80.1%
66.4%
Rated D–G
62.3%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 54% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 22 October 2026). “No insulation (assumed)” is the assessor's default for older walls.
The rules are England's national permitted development rules (General Permitted Development Order 2015, Schedule 2, as at 21 October 2026). They do not cover building regulations or a council's own conditions. This is not a planning decision: ask Amber Valley if in doubt.
Boundary: Amber Valley Borough Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44004708, reference 4477, 370.6 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.