Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Riverside conservation area
In the Riverside conservation area (Exeter), 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 32 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. 608 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 15.3% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 64.1% heat with a gas boiler and 26.2% 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
608homes with an energy certificate
15.3%solid walls, no insulation
64.1%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: Exeter publishes its Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk and none overlaps this area; a direction can still exist on paper, so check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Riverside
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
No permission needed (permitted development)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: 32 in the area (grade I: 2, 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: 83% 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 = 608)
Walls
Homes
Share
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
237
39.0%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
93
15.3%
Cavity wall, filled
88
14.5%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
53
8.7%
Timber frame
40
6.6%
Other or not known
38
6.2%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
32
5.3%
Solid wall, insulated
16
2.6%
Cavity wall, unfilled
7
1.2%
Solid wall, internal insulation
3
0.5%
Solid wall, external insulation
1
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
390
64.1%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
205
33.7%
Communal heating
12
2.0%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
1
0.2%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
27
4.4%
Under 200 mm
84
13.8%
200 mm or more
101
16.6%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
56
9.2%
Flat or other home above
314
51.6%
Other
26
4.3%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
563
92.6%
Single glazed
41
6.7%
Other
2
0.3%
Secondary glazing
2
0.3%
BCD
Energy rating: B 73 (12.0%) · C 376 (61.8%) · D 125 (20.6%) · E 28 (4.6%) · F 3 (0.5%) · G 3 (0.5%). Houses and bungalows: 17% of the homes; solar panels on 0.3% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1976-1982. Designated: 22 March 1993.
Compared with Exeter and England
Share of homes
Riverside
All 20 areas in Exeter
England
Solid walls, no insulation
15.3%
35.2%
48.7%
Gas boiler
64.1%
69.4%
66.4%
Rated D–G
26.2%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 53% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 8 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 Exeter if in doubt.
Boundary: Exeter City Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44015007, reference CA14, 24.9 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.