Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Ware conservation area
In the Ware conservation area (East Hertfordshire), 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 180 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. 1,613 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 19.9% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 62.0% heat with a gas boiler and 37.4% are rated D–G; 1 has 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
1,613homes with an energy certificate
19.9%solid walls, no insulation
62.0%heated by a gas boiler
1heat pumps
Article 4: East Hertfordshire does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Ware
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: 180 in the area (grade I: 3, II*: 14). 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: 68% 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 = 1,613)
Walls
Homes
Share
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
633
39.2%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
321
19.9%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
221
13.7%
Timber frame
110
6.8%
Cavity wall, unfilled
98
6.1%
Solid wall, insulated
57
3.5%
Cavity wall, filled
55
3.4%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
50
3.1%
Other or not known
35
2.2%
Solid wall, internal insulation
25
1.5%
Solid wall, partly insulated
6
0.4%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
1
0.1%
Solid wall, external insulation
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
1,000
62.0%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
551
34.2%
Communal heating
46
2.9%
Other
13
0.8%
LPG
2
0.1%
Heat pump
1
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
98
6.1%
Under 200 mm
248
15.4%
200 mm or more
197
12.2%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
293
18.2%
Flat or other home above
610
37.8%
Other
167
10.4%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
1,422
88.2%
Single glazed
148
9.2%
Secondary glazing
31
1.9%
Other
12
0.7%
BCDE
Energy rating: B 309 (19.2%) · C 700 (43.4%) · D 383 (23.7%) · E 201 (12.5%) · F 15 (0.9%) · G 5 (0.3%). Houses and bungalows: 32% of the homes; solar panels on 0.1% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 28 January 1981.
Compared with East Hertfordshire and England
Share of homes
Ware
All 42 areas in East Hertfordshire
England
Solid walls, no insulation
19.9%
32.5%
48.7%
Gas boiler
62.0%
66.6%
66.4%
Rated D–G
37.4%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 52% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 29 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 Hertfordshire if in doubt.
Boundary: East Hertfordshire District Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44014192, reference CA37, 62.3 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.