Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Kite conservation area
In the Kite conservation area (Cambridge), 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 45 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. 849 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 55.0% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 67.7% heat with a gas boiler and 51.0% are rated D–G; 22 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
849homes with an energy certificate
55.0%solid walls, no insulation
67.7%heated by a gas boiler
22heat pumps
Article 4: Cambridge publishes its Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk and none overlaps this area; a direction can still exist on paper, so check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Kite
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
No permission needed (permitted development)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: 45 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: 43% 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 = 849)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
467
55.0%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
128
15.1%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
115
13.5%
Other or not known
75
8.8%
Solid wall, internal insulation
21
2.5%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
15
1.8%
Timber frame
8
0.9%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
7
0.8%
Cavity wall, unfilled
5
0.6%
Cavity wall, filled
4
0.5%
Solid wall, insulated
4
0.5%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
575
67.7%
Communal heating
159
18.7%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
90
10.6%
Heat pump
22
2.6%
LPG
2
0.2%
Oil
1
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
100
11.8%
Under 200 mm
192
22.6%
200 mm or more
178
21.0%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
95
11.2%
Flat or other home above
216
25.4%
Other
68
8.0%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
583
68.7%
Single glazed
167
19.7%
Secondary glazing
95
11.2%
Triple glazed
3
0.4%
Other
1
0.1%
BCDE
Energy rating: A 1 (0.1%) · B 70 (8.2%) · C 345 (40.6%) · D 319 (37.6%) · E 102 (12.0%) · F 11 (1.3%) · G 1 (0.1%). Houses and bungalows: 57% of the homes; solar panels on 0.4% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 21 November 2018.
Compared with Cambridge and England
Share of homes
Kite
All 18 areas in Cambridge
England
Solid walls, no insulation
55.0%
52.2%
48.7%
Gas boiler
67.7%
71.7%
66.4%
Rated D–G
51.0%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 56% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 20 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 Cambridge if in doubt.
Boundary: Cambridge City Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44006865, reference 58, 21.2 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.