Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Denmark Road conservation area
In the Denmark Road conservation area (Gloucester), 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 1 listed building; on a listed building solar panels and heat pumps are not permitted development at all and need planning permission and listed building consent. 449 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 67.5% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 80.6% heat with a gas boiler and 71.0% 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
449homes with an energy certificate
67.5%solid walls, no insulation
80.6%heated by a gas boiler
1heat pumps
Article 4: Gloucester 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 Denmark Road
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: 1 in the area. 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: 38% 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 = 449)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
303
67.5%
Cavity wall, filled
35
7.8%
Cavity wall, unfilled
32
7.1%
Timber frame
23
5.1%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
20
4.5%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
18
4.0%
Solid wall, internal insulation
11
2.4%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
3
0.7%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
1
0.2%
Other or not known
1
0.2%
Solid wall, external insulation
1
0.2%
Solid wall, insulated
1
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
362
80.6%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
70
15.6%
Communal heating
14
3.1%
Heat pump
1
0.2%
Oil
1
0.2%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
1
0.2%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
63
14.0%
Under 200 mm
119
26.5%
200 mm or more
90
20.0%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
51
11.4%
Flat or other home above
111
24.7%
Other
15
3.3%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
410
91.3%
Single glazed
22
4.9%
Secondary glazing
17
3.8%
CDE
Energy rating: B 5 (1.1%) · C 125 (27.8%) · D 182 (40.5%) · E 120 (26.7%) · F 11 (2.4%) · G 6 (1.3%). Houses and bungalows: 62% of the homes; solar panels on 0.7% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 27 November 2008.
Compared with Gloucester and England
Share of homes
Denmark Road
All 14 areas in Gloucester
England
Solid walls, no insulation
67.5%
44.0%
48.7%
Gas boiler
80.6%
54.1%
66.4%
Rated D–G
71.0%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 61% 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 Gloucester if in doubt.
Boundary: Gloucester City Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44009677, reference 14, 22.3 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.