Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Old Yardley conservation area
In the Old Yardley 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, painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 15 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. 60 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 43% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 97% heat with a gas boiler and 63% 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
60homes with an energy certificate
43%solid walls, no insulation
97%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, painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. (CITY WIDE HMO; OLD YARDLEY CONSERVATION AREA, ARTICLE 4 (2))
What needs planning permission in Old Yardley
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: 15 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: 33% 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 = 60)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
26
43%
Cavity wall, filled
17
28%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
8
13%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
4
7%
Solid wall, internal insulation
3
5%
Cavity wall, unfilled
1
2%
Solid wall, insulated
1
2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
58
97%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
2
3%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
5
8%
Under 200 mm
9
15%
200 mm or more
21
35%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
7
12%
Flat or other home above
10
17%
Other
8
13%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
51
85%
Single glazed
6
10%
Secondary glazing
3
5%
BCDE
Energy rating: B 8 (13%) · C 14 (23%) · D 28 (47%) · E 10 (17%). Houses and bungalows: 67% of the homes; solar panels on 0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 17 July 1969.
Compared with Birmingham and England
Share of homes
Old Yardley
All 29 areas in Birmingham
England
Solid walls, no insulation
43%
31.3%
48.7%
Gas boiler
97%
46.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
63%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 47% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 15 September 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 44009830, reference 5, 11.5 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.