Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in De Beauvoir conservation area
In the De Beauvoir conservation area (Hackney), 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. An Article 4 direction published by Hackney covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 31 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. 1,513 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 52.5% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 88.6% heat with a gas boiler and 49.7% are rated D–G; 9 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
1,513homes with an energy certificate
52.5%solid walls, no insulation
88.6%heated by a gas boiler
9heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Hackney covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. (A4D Non-residential to residential; Dalston; De Beauvoir; De Beauvoir Conservation Area (article 4 direction area); London borough of Hackney; Priority Industrial Area - De Beauvoir)
What needs planning permission in De Beauvoir
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
Planning permission needed (an Article 4 direction here removes this right)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: 31 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: 59% 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 = 1,513)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
794
52.5%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
278
18.4%
Cavity wall, unfilled
123
8.1%
Cavity wall, filled
72
4.8%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
55
3.6%
Other or not known
54
3.6%
Solid wall, internal insulation
43
2.8%
Solid wall, insulated
28
1.9%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
27
1.8%
Timber frame
24
1.6%
Solid wall, partly insulated
7
0.5%
Solid wall, external insulation
5
0.3%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
3
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
1,340
88.6%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
131
8.7%
Communal heating
30
2.0%
Heat pump
9
0.6%
LPG
3
0.2%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
231
15.3%
Under 200 mm
299
19.8%
200 mm or more
141
9.3%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
255
16.9%
Flat or other home above
545
36.0%
Other
41
2.7%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
1,108
73.2%
Single glazed
370
24.5%
Secondary glazing
34
2.2%
Triple glazed
1
0.1%
CDE
Energy rating: A 1 (0.1%) · B 67 (4.4%) · C 693 (45.8%) · D 595 (39.3%) · E 142 (9.4%) · F 13 (0.9%) · G 2 (0.1%). Houses and bungalows: 41% of the homes; solar panels on 0.3% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 1 January 1971.
Compared with Hackney and England
Share of homes
De Beauvoir
All 37 areas in Hackney
England
Solid walls, no insulation
52.5%
50.5%
48.7%
Gas boiler
88.6%
70.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
49.7%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 56% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 21 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 Hackney if in doubt.
Boundary: London Borough of Hackney via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44016024, reference CA14, 40.9 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.