Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in St Faith's conservation area
In the St Faith's conservation area (Havant), 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 Havant covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 37 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. 441 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 13.4% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 63.0% heat with a gas boiler and 50.1% 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
441homes with an energy certificate
13.4%solid walls, no insulation
63.0%heated by a gas boiler
1heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Havant covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. (0164B3; 2967)
What needs planning permission in St Faith's
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: 37 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 1). 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 = 441)
Walls
Homes
Share
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
138
31.3%
Cavity wall, unfilled
102
23.1%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
59
13.4%
Cavity wall, filled
43
9.8%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
42
9.5%
Timber frame
22
5.0%
Solid wall, insulated
12
2.7%
Solid wall, internal insulation
8
1.8%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
7
1.6%
Other or not known
7
1.6%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
1
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
278
63.0%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
146
33.1%
Communal heating
16
3.6%
Heat pump
1
0.2%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
56
12.7%
Under 200 mm
79
17.9%
200 mm or more
89
20.2%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
51
11.6%
Flat or other home above
133
30.2%
Other
33
7.5%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
385
87.3%
Single glazed
48
10.9%
Secondary glazing
6
1.4%
Triple glazed
2
0.5%
BCDE
Energy rating: B 54 (12.2%) · C 166 (37.6%) · D 137 (31.1%) · E 73 (16.6%) · F 6 (1.4%) · G 5 (1.1%). Houses and bungalows: 36% of the homes; solar panels on 0.2% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 26 March 2026.
Compared with Havant and England
Share of homes
St Faith's
All 17 areas in Havant
England
Solid walls, no insulation
13.4%
17.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
63.0%
75.9%
66.4%
Rated D–G
50.1%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 54% 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 Havant if in doubt.
Boundary: Havant Borough Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44016378, reference 9-1, 20.7 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.