Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Wordsley Hospital conservation area
In the Wordsley Hospital 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. 355 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 0.6% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 60.0% heat with a gas boiler and 18.6% are rated D–G; 29 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
355homes with an energy certificate
0.6%solid walls, no insulation
60.0%heated by a gas boiler
29heat pumps
Article 4: Dudley does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Wordsley Hospital
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: none recorded inside the boundary; on a listed building, solar panels and heat pumps are not permitted development and need listed building consent.
Flats: 48% 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 = 355)
Walls
Homes
Share
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
161
45.4%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
134
37.7%
Solid wall, insulated
19
5.4%
Solid wall, internal insulation
18
5.1%
Cavity wall, filled
12
3.4%
Other or not known
5
1.4%
Timber frame
4
1.1%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
2
0.6%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
213
60.0%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
113
31.8%
Heat pump
29
8.2%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
Under 200 mm
10
2.8%
200 mm or more
62
17.5%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
52
14.6%
Flat or other home above
97
27.3%
Other
134
37.7%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
353
99.4%
Other
2
0.6%
BCD
Energy rating: B 62 (17.5%) · C 227 (63.9%) · D 60 (16.9%) · E 6 (1.7%). Houses and bungalows: 52% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 2007-2011.
Compared with Dudley and England
Share of homes
Wordsley Hospital
All 22 areas in Dudley
England
Solid walls, no insulation
0.6%
30.3%
48.7%
Gas boiler
60.0%
59.2%
66.4%
Rated D–G
18.6%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 48% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 23 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 44008228, reference 76, 9.3 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.