Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Blackheath conservation area
In the Blackheath conservation area (Greenwich), 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 304 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. 6,198 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 57.9% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 81.8% heat with a gas boiler and 59.1% are rated D–G; 38 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
6,198homes with an energy certificate
57.9%solid walls, no insulation
81.8%heated by a gas boiler
38heat pumps
Article 4: Greenwich does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Blackheath
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: 304 in the area (grade I: 17, II*: 14). 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: 64% 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 = 6,198)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
3,591
57.9%
Cavity wall, unfilled
613
9.9%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
568
9.2%
Cavity wall, filled
420
6.8%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
309
5.0%
Other or not known
273
4.4%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
142
2.3%
Timber frame
100
1.6%
Solid wall, internal insulation
82
1.3%
Solid wall, insulated
45
0.7%
Solid wall, partly insulated
23
0.4%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
19
0.3%
Solid wall, external insulation
13
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
5,067
81.8%
Communal heating
546
8.8%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
531
8.6%
Heat pump
38
0.6%
LPG
10
0.2%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
5
0.1%
Oil
1
0.0%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
994
16.0%
Under 200 mm
895
14.4%
200 mm or more
595
9.6%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
934
15.1%
Flat or other home above
2,617
42.2%
Other
163
2.6%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
4,347
70.1%
Single glazed
1,591
25.7%
Secondary glazing
249
4.0%
Triple glazed
10
0.2%
Other
1
0.0%
CDE
Energy rating: A 12 (0.2%) · B 357 (5.8%) · C 2,169 (35.0%) · D 2,677 (43.2%) · E 823 (13.3%) · F 126 (2.0%) · G 34 (0.5%). Houses and bungalows: 36% of the homes; solar panels on 0.2% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900.
Compared with Greenwich and England
Share of homes
Blackheath
All 24 areas in Greenwich
England
Solid walls, no insulation
57.9%
48.1%
48.7%
Gas boiler
81.8%
71.9%
66.4%
Rated D–G
59.1%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 54% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 31 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 Greenwich if in doubt.
Boundary: Royal Borough of Greenwich via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44009050, reference 150_GRE_CA2, 380.1 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.