Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Felixstowe conservation area
In the Felixstowe conservation area (East Suffolk), 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 11 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. 1,315 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 49.5% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 68.6% heat with a gas boiler and 59.1% 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
1,315homes with an energy certificate
49.5%solid walls, no insulation
68.6%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: East Suffolk does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Felixstowe
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: 11 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 2). 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 = 1,315)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
651
49.5%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
215
16.3%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
130
9.9%
Cavity wall, filled
101
7.7%
Timber frame
85
6.5%
Cavity wall, unfilled
38
2.9%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
34
2.6%
Solid wall, insulated
25
1.9%
Solid wall, internal insulation
22
1.7%
Other or not known
5
0.4%
Solid wall, external insulation
5
0.4%
Solid wall, partly insulated
3
0.2%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
902
68.6%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
410
31.2%
Communal heating
3
0.2%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
212
16.1%
Under 200 mm
185
14.1%
200 mm or more
192
14.6%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
144
11.0%
Flat or other home above
516
39.2%
Other
66
5.0%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
1,115
84.8%
Single glazed
121
9.2%
Secondary glazing
77
5.9%
Other
1
0.1%
Triple glazed
1
0.1%
CDE
Energy rating: A 1 (0.1%) · B 82 (6.2%) · C 455 (34.6%) · D 430 (32.7%) · E 273 (20.8%) · F 60 (4.6%) · G 14 (1.1%). Houses and bungalows: 34% of the homes; solar panels on 0.6% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 19 June 1975.
Compared with East Suffolk and England
Share of homes
Felixstowe
All 52 areas in East Suffolk
England
Solid walls, no insulation
49.5%
55.5%
48.7%
Gas boiler
68.6%
66.6%
66.4%
Rated D–G
59.1%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 46% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 30 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 Suffolk if in doubt.
Boundary: East Suffolk Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44016525, reference CA15, 60.4 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.