Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in West Cliff and Poole Hill conservation area
In the West Cliff and Poole Hill conservation area (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole), 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 17 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. 1,699 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 6.6% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 38.6% heat with a gas boiler and 54.2% are rated D–G; 18 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
1,699homes with an energy certificate
6.6%solid walls, no insulation
38.6%heated by a gas boiler
18heat pumps
Article 4: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in West Cliff and Poole Hill
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: 17 in the area (grade I: 0, 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: 92% 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 = 1,699)
Walls
Homes
Share
Cavity wall, unfilled
774
45.6%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
320
18.8%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
169
9.9%
Cavity wall, filled
148
8.7%
Timber frame
115
6.8%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
112
6.6%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
23
1.4%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
22
1.3%
Other or not known
8
0.5%
Solid wall, internal insulation
6
0.4%
Solid wall, insulated
1
0.1%
Solid wall, partly insulated
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
914
53.8%
Gas boiler
655
38.6%
Communal heating
110
6.5%
Heat pump
18
1.1%
LPG
2
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
179
10.5%
Under 200 mm
100
5.9%
200 mm or more
95
5.6%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
140
8.2%
Flat or other home above
1,085
63.9%
Other
100
5.9%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
1,512
89.0%
Single glazed
173
10.2%
Secondary glazing
14
0.8%
BCDE
Energy rating: B 197 (11.6%) · C 581 (34.2%) · D 569 (33.5%) · E 321 (18.9%) · F 25 (1.5%) · G 6 (0.4%). Houses and bungalows: 8% of the homes; solar panels on 0.1% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 17 October 1989.
Compared with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and England
Share of homes
West Cliff and Poole Hill
All 47 areas in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
England
Solid walls, no insulation
6.6%
6.4%
48.7%
Gas boiler
38.6%
63.6%
66.4%
Rated D–G
54.2%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 58% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 28 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 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole if in doubt.
Boundary: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44017472, reference WCPH, 34.2 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.