Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Town Centre and Seafront conservation area
In the Town Centre and Seafront conservation area (Eastbourne), 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 43 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. 3,016 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 50.0% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 53.8% heat with a gas boiler and 51.3% 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
3,016homes with an energy certificate
50.0%solid walls, no insulation
53.8%heated by a gas boiler
3heat pumps
Article 4: Eastbourne does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Town Centre and Seafront
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: 43 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 5). 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: 93% 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 = 3,016)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
1,509
50.0%
Cavity wall, unfilled
435
14.4%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
228
7.6%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
191
6.3%
Timber frame
138
4.6%
Solid wall, internal insulation
132
4.4%
Other or not known
123
4.1%
Solid wall, insulated
110
3.6%
Cavity wall, filled
54
1.8%
Solid wall, partly insulated
37
1.2%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
33
1.1%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
25
0.8%
Solid wall, external insulation
1
0.0%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
1,623
53.8%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
1,100
36.5%
Communal heating
287
9.5%
Heat pump
3
0.1%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
3
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
222
7.4%
Under 200 mm
284
9.4%
200 mm or more
235
7.8%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
169
5.6%
Flat or other home above
1,985
65.8%
Other
121
4.0%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
2,425
80.4%
Single glazed
539
17.9%
Secondary glazing
46
1.5%
Triple glazed
6
0.2%
CDE
Energy rating: B 133 (4.4%) · C 1,336 (44.3%) · D 1,033 (34.3%) · E 455 (15.1%) · F 34 (1.1%) · G 25 (0.8%). Houses and bungalows: 7% of the homes; solar panels on 0.1% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 1 January 1969.
Compared with Eastbourne and England
Share of homes
Town Centre and Seafront
All 12 areas in Eastbourne
England
Solid walls, no insulation
50.0%
45.2%
48.7%
Gas boiler
53.8%
62.7%
66.4%
Rated D–G
51.3%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 57% 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 Eastbourne if in doubt.
Boundary: Eastbourne Borough Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44005479, reference 63, 84.2 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.