Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in High Street, Sutton Coldfield conservation area
In the High Street, Sutton Coldfield 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. The area has 35 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. 237 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 46.0% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 68.8% heat with a gas boiler and 44.3% are rated D–G; 1 has 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
237homes with an energy certificate
46.0%solid walls, no insulation
68.8%heated by a gas boiler
1heat 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. (CITY WIDE HMO; HIGH STREET, SUTTON COLDFIELD CONSERVATION AREA, ARTICLE 4 (2))
What needs planning permission in High Street, Sutton Coldfield
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: 35 in the area (grade I: 1, II*: 1). 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: 53% 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 = 237)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
109
46.0%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
81
34.2%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
12
5.1%
Cavity wall, filled
9
3.8%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
7
3.0%
Cavity wall, unfilled
5
2.1%
Solid wall, insulated
5
2.1%
Solid wall, internal insulation
3
1.3%
Timber frame
3
1.3%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
1
0.4%
Solid wall, external insulation
1
0.4%
Solid wall, partly insulated
1
0.4%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
163
68.8%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
73
30.8%
Heat pump
1
0.4%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
35
14.8%
Under 200 mm
48
20.3%
200 mm or more
35
14.8%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
10
4.2%
Flat or other home above
79
33.5%
Other
29
12.3%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
198
83.5%
Single glazed
27
11.4%
Triple glazed
9
3.8%
Secondary glazing
3
1.3%
BCDE
Energy rating: B 46 (19.4%) · C 86 (36.3%) · D 69 (29.1%) · E 30 (12.7%) · F 5 (2.1%) · G 1 (0.4%). Houses and bungalows: 47% of the homes; solar panels on 0.8% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 28 November 1973.
Compared with Birmingham and England
Share of homes
High Street, Sutton Coldfield
All 29 areas in Birmingham
England
Solid walls, no insulation
46.0%
31.3%
48.7%
Gas boiler
68.8%
46.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
44.3%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 51% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 30 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 44009854, reference 13, 16.8 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.