Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in The Poets conservation area
In the The Poets conservation area (Cheltenham), 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. 394 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 2.3% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 93.1% heat with a gas boiler and 70.3% are rated D–G; 2 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
394homes with an energy certificate
2.3%solid walls, no insulation
93.1%heated by a gas boiler
2heat pumps
Article 4: Cheltenham 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 The Poets
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: none recorded inside the boundary; on a listed building, solar panels and heat pumps are not permitted development and need listed building consent.
Flats: 6% 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 = 394)
Walls
Homes
Share
Cavity wall, filled
236
59.9%
Cavity wall, unfilled
116
29.4%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
13
3.3%
Other or not known
10
2.5%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
9
2.3%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
7
1.8%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
2
0.5%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
1
0.3%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
367
93.1%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
14
3.6%
Communal heating
11
2.8%
Heat pump
2
0.5%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
35
8.9%
Under 200 mm
158
40.1%
200 mm or more
164
41.6%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
24
6.1%
Flat or other home above
6
1.5%
Other
7
1.8%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
380
96.4%
Single glazed
14
3.6%
CDE
Energy rating: A 3 (0.8%) · B 8 (2.0%) · C 106 (26.9%) · D 222 (56.3%) · E 49 (12.4%) · F 5 (1.3%) · G 1 (0.3%). Houses and bungalows: 94% of the homes; solar panels on 4.1% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1930-1949. Designated: 1 May 2001.
Compared with Cheltenham and England
Share of homes
The Poets
All 7 areas in Cheltenham
England
Solid walls, no insulation
2.3%
50.0%
48.7%
Gas boiler
93.1%
72.5%
66.4%
Rated D–G
70.3%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 47% 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 Cheltenham if in doubt.
Boundary: Cheltenham Borough Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44016337, reference 06/00001/CONARA, 26.1 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.