External wall insulation in a conservation area
In a conservation area in England external wall insulation finished in render, cladding, timber, plastic or tiles needs planning permission (GPDO 2015, Part 1 Class A, A.2(a)); internal, loft and cavity wall insulation are not development. Of the homes with an energy certificate inside conservation areas, 940,475 (48.7% of those with a wall description) are solid-wall homes without wall insulation, and 4,225 solid-wall homes already have external insulation. Rules as at 21 October 2026; EPC register November 2026.
Am I in a conservation area? Check a postcode first: the rules below apply only inside one.
What needs planning permission
| Work (house, not listed) | In a conservation area | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| External wall insulation (render, cladding, timber, tiles) | Planning permission needed | Part 1 Class A, A.2(a) |
| Internal wall insulation, loft insulation, cavity wall insulation | Not development: no planning permission | — |
External wall insulation changes the outside of the house. Under Part 1 Class A, paragraph A.2(a), of the General Permitted Development Order 2015, on article 2(3) land — which includes conservation areas — cladding any part of the exterior with stone, artificial stone, pebble dash, render, timber, plastic or tiles is not permitted development. An external insulation system finished in render or cladding therefore needs planning permission in a conservation area.
Internal wall insulation, loft insulation and cavity wall insulation are not development and need no planning permission. An Article 4 direction does not change the answer for external insulation, which needs permission anyway.
On a listed building any of these works needs listed building consent. Homes in a block of flats have no householder rights for alterations.
General Permitted Development Order 2015, Schedule 2 (England), text as at 21 October 2026: legislation.gov.uk. National rules for houses, not a planning decision; building regulations still apply. If in doubt, ask the council.
Can I put external wall insulation on a house in a conservation area?
Not as permitted development: cladding any part of the outside with stone, artificial stone, pebble dash, render, timber, plastic or tiles on article 2(3) land, which includes conservation areas, needs planning permission (Part 1 Class A, A.2(a)). Internal, loft and cavity wall insulation are not development.
The homes inside conservation areas, by region
Latest energy certificate of each home whose address point lies inside a conservation area; a home inside two overlapping areas is counted once. Shares are of the homes whose certificate records that feature.
| Region | Homes with EPC | Solid wall, no insulation | Solid wall, external insulation | Solid wall, internal insulation | Cavity wall, unfilled | Loft or roof, no insulation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1,931,175 | 48.7% (940,475) | 0.2% (4,225) | 2.7% (52,879) | 7.2% (138,786) | 13.4% (258,063) |
| East Midlands | 135,412 | 49.5% (66,991) | 0.4% (539) | 4.9% (6,625) | 3.6% (4,829) | 12.3% (16,630) |
| East of England | 211,155 | 39.1% (82,457) | 0.5% (960) | 2.6% (5,487) | 5.5% (11,702) | 10.3% (21,645) |
| London | 532,838 | 61.3% (326,394) | 0.2% (884) | 2.1% (10,991) | 5.5% (29,138) | 15.8% (84,268) |
| North East | 55,488 | 42.7% (23,670) | 0.2% (85) | 2.6% (1,460) | 8.2% (4,557) | 14.0% (7,762) |
| North West | 149,150 | 39.4% (58,697) | 0.2% (257) | 3.3% (4,940) | 11.1% (16,621) | 14.5% (21,584) |
| South East | 276,591 | 43.2% (119,526) | 0.2% (428) | 2.3% (6,346) | 11.3% (31,367) | 12.5% (34,484) |
| South West | 295,220 | 46.8% (138,213) | 0.2% (510) | 2.3% (6,722) | 8.3% (24,396) | 10.8% (31,865) |
| West Midlands | 93,379 | 40.4% (37,755) | 0.3% (264) | 3.8% (3,507) | 4.9% (4,608) | 11.8% (11,014) |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 181,942 | 47.7% (86,772) | 0.2% (298) | 3.7% (6,801) | 6.4% (11,568) | 15.8% (28,811) |
Most solid-wall homes without wall insulation
| Conservation area | Council | Homes with EPC | Solid wall, no insulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bath | Bath and North East Somerset | 16,898 | 8,959 (53.0%) |
| Central | Cheltenham | 14,648 | 7,520 (51.3%) |
| Bayswater | Westminster | 10,657 | 7,367 (69.1%) |
| Bloomsbury | Camden | 7,517 | 5,319 (70.8%) |
| Harrogate | North Yorkshire | 9,070 | 4,819 (53.1%) |
| Maida Vale | Westminster | 5,615 | 4,691 (83.5%) |
| Scarborough | North Yorkshire | 6,814 | 4,349 (63.8%) |
| Royal Leamington Spa | Warwick | 7,728 | 4,315 (55.8%) |
| Pimlico | Westminster | 5,003 | 4,246 (84.9%) |
| Weston-super-Mare | North Somerset | 7,197 | 4,193 (58.3%) |
Highest share of solid-wall homes without insulation (areas with 100 or more homes)
| Conservation area | Council | Homes with EPC | Solid wall, no insulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitre Road & Ufford Street | Lambeth | 160 | 160 (100.0%) |
| Totterdown Fields | Wandsworth | 905 | 899 (99.3%) |
| Oaklands Estate | Lambeth | 127 | 125 (98.4%) |
| Turneville/Chesson | Hammersmith & Fulham | 145 | 142 (97.9%) |
| Lloyd Park | Waltham Forest | 543 | 526 (96.9%) |
| Swindon’s Railway (SWD_328_CA_23) | Swindon | 284 | 275 (96.8%) |
| Liverpool Grove | Southwark | 785 | 760 (96.8%) |
| Dinsmore Road | Wandsworth | 245 | 237 (96.7%) |
| Noel Park | Haringey | 1,534 | 1,481 (96.5%) |
| Henley - Reading Road | South Oxfordshire | 224 | 216 (96.4%) |
Most solid-wall homes already insulated on the outside
| Conservation area | Council | Homes with EPC | Solid wall, external insulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mile Cross | Norwich | 1,288 | 204 (15.8%) |
| Eastwood | Broxtowe | 325 | 78 (24.0%) |
| Sutton Passeys | Nottingham | 702 | 46 (6.6%) |
| Hayle | Cornwall | 1,186 | 41 (3.5%) |
| The Watling Estate | Barnet | 3,635 | 39 (1.1%) |
| Old Market | Bristol | 1,215 | 37 (3.0%) |
| Princetown | Dartmoor National Park Authority | 169 | 36 (21.3%) |
| Burford | West Oxfordshire | 490 | 35 (7.1%) |
| Thetford | Breckland | 993 | 34 (3.4%) |
| Old Town | Hull | 1,495 | 32 (2.1%) |
By region: areas with the most solid-wall homes without insulation
East Midlands
- Boot and Shoe Quarter 2,505
- Newark 1,119
- Arboretum 972
- Belper and Milford 965
- Louth 963
East of England
- Mill Road 2,572
- Bedford 1,918
- Letchworth 1,690
- City Centre 1,432
- Hertford 1,208
London
- Bayswater 7,367
- Bloomsbury 5,319
- Maida Vale 4,691
- Pimlico 4,246
- Blackheath 3,591
North East
- Durham City 1,150
- Saltburn-by-the-Sea 856
- Hexham 829
- Ashbrooke, Sunderland 785
- West End 689
North West
- Lark Lane 1,407
- Kendal 1,372
- Canning Street 1,356
- Albert Park, West Didsbury 1,022
- Kensington Fields 1,019
South East
- East Cliff 3,413
- Brunswick Town 3,364
- Montpelier and Clifton Hill 1,906
- Herne Bay 1,880
- Ramsgate 1,831
South West
- Bath 8,959
- Central 7,520
- Weston-super-Mare 4,193
- Clifton 3,803
- Cotham and Redland 3,042
West Midlands
- Royal Leamington Spa 4,315
- Shrewsbury 2,102
- Earlsdon 1,183
- Moseley 776
- Lozells and Soho Hill 728
Yorkshire and The Humber
- Harrogate 4,819
- Scarborough 4,349
- Central Historic Core 2,002
- Morley 1,666
- Whitby 1,189
Caveats
- An energy certificate describes a home when it was assessed; later work (a new heat pump, panels, insulation or windows) is missing until a new certificate is lodged.
- 6,142 of the 6,655 conservation areas with a page contain at least one listed building; for a listed building the national rules above do not give permitted development rights for heat pumps or solar panels, and works need listed building consent.
- Boundaries and Article 4 directions: councils via planning.data.gov.uk. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their address (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.
Other guides: Heat pumps · Solar panels · Replacement windows · Am I in a conservation area? · All rules and all conservation areas