Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Burwell - High Town conservation area
In the Burwell - High Town conservation area (East Cambridgeshire), 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. An Article 4 direction published by East Cambridgeshire covers part of this area (about 16% of it) and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 24 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. 79 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 44% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 86% heat with a gas boiler and 72% are rated D–G; 3 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
79homes with an energy certificate
44%solid walls, no insulation
86%heated by a gas boiler
3heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by East Cambridgeshire covers part of this area (about 16% of it) and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. (1 & 2 Stonefields Cottages, Mill Lane, Burwell; 12 High Street, Burwell; 12 Mandeville, Burwell; 16 High Street, Burwell; 2 Isaacson Road, Burwell; 29 High Street, Burwell)
What needs planning permission in Burwell - High Town
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
Inside the Article 4 part of the area: planning permission needed; elsewhere: no permission needed (permitted development)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: 24 in the area (grade I: 1, II*: 1). 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: 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 = 79)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
35
44%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
10
13%
Cavity wall, filled
9
11%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
9
11%
Timber frame
6
8%
Solid wall, internal insulation
4
5%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
2
3%
Solid wall, insulated
2
3%
Cavity wall, unfilled
1
1%
Other or not known
1
1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
68
86%
Oil
5
6%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
3
4%
Heat pump
3
4%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
9
11%
Under 200 mm
22
28%
200 mm or more
22
28%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
16
20%
Flat or other home above
1
1%
Other
9
11%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
73
92%
Secondary glazing
3
4%
Single glazed
2
3%
Triple glazed
1
1%
BCDE
Energy rating: B 9 (11%) · C 13 (16%) · D 30 (38%) · E 26 (33%) · F 1 (1%). Houses and bungalows: 96% of the homes; solar panels on 1% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 12 July 1974.
Compared with East Cambridgeshire and England
Share of homes
Burwell - High Town
All 28 areas in East Cambridgeshire
England
Solid walls, no insulation
44%
38.2%
48.7%
Gas boiler
86%
63.0%
66.4%
Rated D–G
72%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 43% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 1 July 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 East Cambridgeshire if in doubt.
Boundary: East Cambridgeshire District Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44010185, reference 06/00017/CONARA, 20.1 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.