Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Austin Village conservation area
In the Austin Village conservation area (Birmingham), 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. An Article 4 direction published by Birmingham covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. 212 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 27.4% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 95.3% heat with a gas boiler and 90.1% are rated D–G; 0 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
212homes with an energy certificate
27.4%solid walls, no insulation
95.3%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Birmingham covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. (AUSTIN VILLAGE CONSERVATION AREA, ARTICLE 4 (2); CITY WIDE HMO)
What needs planning permission in Austin Village
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)
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)
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)
Replacement windows and doors of similar appearance
Planning permission needed (an Article 4 direction here removes this right)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: none recorded inside the boundary; on a listed building, solar panels and heat pumps are not permitted development and need listed building consent.
Flats: 4% 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 = 212)
Walls
Homes
Share
Timber frame
117
55.2%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
58
27.4%
Other or not known
21
9.9%
Solid wall, insulated
6
2.8%
Solid wall, internal insulation
4
1.9%
Cavity wall, unfilled
3
1.4%
Cavity wall, filled
2
0.9%
Solid wall, external insulation
1
0.5%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
202
95.3%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
10
4.7%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
14
6.6%
Under 200 mm
62
29.2%
200 mm or more
125
59.0%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
6
2.8%
Flat or other home above
5
2.4%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
200
94.3%
Single glazed
11
5.2%
Secondary glazing
1
0.5%
CDE
Energy rating: A 1 (0.5%) · C 20 (9.4%) · D 128 (60.4%) · E 55 (25.9%) · F 6 (2.8%) · G 2 (0.9%). Houses and bungalows: 96% of the homes; solar panels on 0.5% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 17 July 1997.
Compared with Birmingham and England
Share of homes
Austin Village
All 29 areas in Birmingham
England
Solid walls, no insulation
27.4%
31.3%
48.7%
Gas boiler
95.3%
46.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
90.1%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 48% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 2 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 Birmingham if in doubt.
Boundary: Birmingham City Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44009844, reference 30, 13.3 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.