Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Well Street conservation area
In the Well Street 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), chimneys, flues and soil pipes, painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. 127 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 74.0% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 81.9% heat with a gas boiler and 62.2% 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
127homes with an energy certificate
74.0%solid walls, no insulation
81.9%heated by a gas boiler
0heat 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), chimneys, flues and soil pipes, painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. (202 Well Street; 202 Well Street (launderette); A4D Non-residential to residential; London borough of Hackney; Well Street; Well Street Conservation Area)
What needs planning permission in Well Street
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: none recorded inside the boundary; on a listed building, solar panels and heat pumps are not permitted development and need listed building consent.
Flats: 79% 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 = 127)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
94
74.0%
Timber frame
6
4.7%
Cavity wall, unfilled
5
3.9%
Other or not known
5
3.9%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
3
2.4%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
3
2.4%
Solid wall, internal insulation
3
2.4%
Solid wall, partly insulated
3
2.4%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
2
1.6%
Solid wall, insulated
2
1.6%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
1
0.8%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
104
81.9%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
21
16.5%
Communal heating
2
1.6%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
39
30.7%
Under 200 mm
13
10.2%
200 mm or more
10
7.9%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
28
22.0%
Flat or other home above
34
26.8%
Other
3
2.4%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
102
80.3%
Single glazed
25
19.7%
CDE
Energy rating: B 2 (1.6%) · C 46 (36.2%) · D 56 (44.1%) · E 21 (16.5%) · F 1 (0.8%) · G 1 (0.8%). Houses and bungalows: 21% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 1 January 2021.
Compared with Hackney and England
Share of homes
Well Street
All 37 areas in Hackney
England
Solid walls, no insulation
74.0%
50.5%
48.7%
Gas boiler
81.9%
70.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
62.2%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 61% 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 Hackney if in doubt.
Boundary: London Borough of Hackney via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44016032, reference CA32, 2.5 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.