Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Forestfield and Shrublands conservation area
In the Forestfield and Shrublands conservation area (Crawley), 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. 112 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 4.5% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 99.1% heat with a gas boiler and 94.6% 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
112homes with an energy certificate
4.5%solid walls, no insulation
99.1%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: Crawley 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 Forestfield and Shrublands
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: 4% 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 = 112)
Walls
Homes
Share
Cavity wall, unfilled
49
43.8%
Cavity wall, filled
37
33.0%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
14
12.5%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
5
4.5%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
2
1.8%
Other or not known
2
1.8%
Solid wall, partly insulated
2
1.8%
Timber frame
1
0.9%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
111
99.1%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
1
0.9%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
26
23.2%
Under 200 mm
2
1.8%
200 mm or more
2
1.8%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
82
73.2%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
112
100.0%
DE
Energy rating: C 6 (5.4%) · D 62 (55.4%) · E 40 (35.7%) · F 4 (3.6%). Houses and bungalows: 96% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1967-1975. Designated: 15 August 1996.
Compared with Crawley and England
Share of homes
Forestfield and Shrublands
All 13 areas in Crawley
England
Solid walls, no insulation
4.5%
8.8%
48.7%
Gas boiler
99.1%
80.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
94.6%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 50% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 22 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 Crawley if in doubt.
Boundary: Crawley Borough Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44015896, reference CA04, 7.0 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.