Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Old Oak & Wormholt conservation area
In the Old Oak & Wormholt conservation area (Hammersmith & Fulham), 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. 2,560 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 46.2% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 85.4% heat with a gas boiler and 60.7% are rated D–G; 5 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
2,560homes with an energy certificate
46.2%solid walls, no insulation
85.4%heated by a gas boiler
5heat pumps
Article 4: Hammersmith & Fulham does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Old Oak & Wormholt
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: 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: 24% 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 = 2,560)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
1,183
46.2%
Cavity wall, unfilled
581
22.7%
Cavity wall, filled
304
11.9%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
215
8.4%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
112
4.4%
Other or not known
84
3.3%
Timber frame
22
0.9%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
16
0.6%
Solid wall, internal insulation
15
0.6%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
12
0.5%
Solid wall, external insulation
8
0.3%
Solid wall, partly insulated
6
0.2%
Solid wall, insulated
2
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
2,187
85.4%
Communal heating
324
12.7%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
41
1.6%
Heat pump
5
0.2%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
2
0.1%
LPG
1
0.0%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
533
20.8%
Under 200 mm
701
27.4%
200 mm or more
676
26.4%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
195
7.6%
Flat or other home above
348
13.6%
Other
107
4.2%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
2,478
96.8%
Single glazed
77
3.0%
Secondary glazing
4
0.2%
Triple glazed
1
0.0%
BCDE
Energy rating: A 2 (0.1%) · B 244 (9.5%) · C 759 (29.6%) · D 1,266 (49.5%) · E 268 (10.5%) · F 14 (0.5%) · G 7 (0.3%). Houses and bungalows: 76% of the homes; solar panels on 0.2% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929.
Compared with Hammersmith & Fulham and England
Share of homes
Old Oak & Wormholt
All 46 areas in Hammersmith & Fulham
England
Solid walls, no insulation
46.2%
65.3%
48.7%
Gas boiler
85.4%
70.7%
66.4%
Rated D–G
60.7%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 39% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 29 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 Hammersmith & Fulham if in doubt.
Boundary: London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44008386, reference 12, 80.3 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.