Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Dudley Town Centre conservation area
In the Dudley Town Centre conservation area (Dudley), 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 55 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. 549 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 30.6% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 37.0% heat with a gas boiler and 52.5% 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
549homes with an energy certificate
30.6%solid walls, no insulation
37.0%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: Dudley does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Dudley Town Centre
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: 55 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 5). 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: 95% 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 = 549)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
168
30.6%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
154
28.1%
Solid wall, internal insulation
58
10.6%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
46
8.4%
Solid wall, insulated
43
7.8%
Cavity wall, filled
27
4.9%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
16
2.9%
Cavity wall, unfilled
11
2.0%
Other or not known
11
2.0%
Timber frame
8
1.5%
Solid wall, external insulation
4
0.7%
Solid wall, partly insulated
2
0.4%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
1
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
325
59.2%
Gas boiler
203
37.0%
Communal heating
21
3.8%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
50
9.1%
Under 200 mm
28
5.1%
200 mm or more
40
7.3%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
64
11.7%
Flat or other home above
285
51.9%
Other
82
14.9%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
437
79.6%
Single glazed
69
12.6%
Secondary glazing
38
6.9%
Triple glazed
5
0.9%
CDE
Energy rating: B 26 (4.7%) · C 235 (42.8%) · D 174 (31.7%) · E 82 (14.9%) · F 17 (3.1%) · G 15 (2.7%). Houses and bungalows: 5% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929.
Compared with Dudley and England
Share of homes
Dudley Town Centre
All 22 areas in Dudley
England
Solid walls, no insulation
30.6%
30.3%
48.7%
Gas boiler
37.0%
59.2%
66.4%
Rated D–G
52.5%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 58% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 26 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 Dudley if in doubt.
Boundary: Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44008242, reference 93, 34.6 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.