Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Exmouth conservation area
In the Exmouth conservation area (East Devon), 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 84 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. 1,071 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 56.0% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 75.0% heat with a gas boiler and 61.9% are rated D–G; 21 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
1,071homes with an energy certificate
56.0%solid walls, no insulation
75.0%heated by a gas boiler
21heat pumps
Article 4: East Devon does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Exmouth
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: 84 in the area (grade I: 0, 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: 66% 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 = 1,071)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
600
56.0%
Cavity wall, unfilled
133
12.4%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
108
10.1%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
96
9.0%
Cavity wall, filled
50
4.7%
Timber frame
29
2.7%
Solid wall, internal insulation
24
2.2%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
9
0.8%
Solid wall, partly insulated
8
0.7%
Solid wall, insulated
5
0.5%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
4
0.4%
Other or not known
3
0.3%
Solid wall, external insulation
2
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
803
75.0%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
184
17.2%
Communal heating
61
5.7%
Heat pump
21
2.0%
LPG
1
0.1%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
1
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
159
14.8%
Under 200 mm
191
17.8%
200 mm or more
158
14.8%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
95
8.9%
Flat or other home above
396
37.0%
Other
72
6.7%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
943
88.0%
Single glazed
106
9.9%
Secondary glazing
21
2.0%
Triple glazed
1
0.1%
CDE
Energy rating: A 1 (0.1%) · B 67 (6.3%) · C 340 (31.7%) · D 420 (39.2%) · E 196 (18.3%) · F 31 (2.9%) · G 16 (1.5%). Houses and bungalows: 34% of the homes; solar panels on 0.2% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 1 March 1973.
Compared with East Devon and England
Share of homes
Exmouth
All 32 areas in East Devon
England
Solid walls, no insulation
56.0%
49.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
75.0%
68.4%
66.4%
Rated D–G
61.9%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 53% 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 East Devon if in doubt.
Boundary: East Devon District Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44012484, reference 9353, 38.9 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.