Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in West Cambridge conservation area
In the West Cambridge 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 92 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. 631 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 30.1% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 69.6% heat with a gas boiler and 54.4% are rated D–G; 39 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
631homes with an energy certificate
30.1%solid walls, no insulation
69.6%heated by a gas boiler
39heat 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 West Cambridge
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: 92 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 14). 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: 52% 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 = 631)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
190
30.1%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
156
24.7%
Cavity wall, unfilled
94
14.9%
Cavity wall, filled
71
11.3%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
54
8.6%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
35
5.5%
Timber frame
13
2.1%
Other or not known
7
1.1%
Solid wall, internal insulation
5
0.8%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
4
0.6%
Solid wall, insulated
2
0.3%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
439
69.6%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
86
13.6%
Communal heating
61
9.7%
Heat pump
39
6.2%
Oil
5
0.8%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
1
0.2%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
61
9.7%
Under 200 mm
95
15.1%
200 mm or more
105
16.6%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
102
16.2%
Flat or other home above
219
34.7%
Other
49
7.8%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
470
74.5%
Single glazed
115
18.2%
Secondary glazing
43
6.8%
Triple glazed
3
0.5%
CDE
Energy rating: A 22 (3.5%) · B 35 (5.5%) · C 231 (36.6%) · D 243 (38.5%) · E 78 (12.4%) · F 20 (3.2%) · G 2 (0.3%). Houses and bungalows: 48% of the homes; solar panels on 0.5% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 3 May 1972.
Compared with Cambridge and England
Share of homes
West Cambridge
All 18 areas in Cambridge
England
Solid walls, no insulation
30.1%
52.2%
48.7%
Gas boiler
69.6%
71.7%
66.4%
Rated D–G
54.4%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 57% 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 Cambridge if in doubt.
Boundary: Cambridge City Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44006870, reference 95, 195.3 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.