Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Northwood Town Centre, Green Lane conservation area
In the Northwood Town Centre, Green Lane conservation area (Hillingdon), 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 Hillingdon covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 2 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. 193 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 49.7% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 74.6% heat with a gas boiler and 69.4% 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
193homes with an energy certificate
49.7%solid walls, no insulation
74.6%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Hillingdon covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, so there these need planning permission too. (Changes of use from commercial, business and service uses to dwellinghouses; Residential extensions)
What needs planning permission in Northwood Town Centre, Green Lane
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: 2 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: 90% 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 = 193)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
96
49.7%
Cavity wall, unfilled
40
20.7%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
15
7.8%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
14
7.3%
Timber frame
10
5.2%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
8
4.1%
Solid wall, partly insulated
4
2.1%
Solid wall, internal insulation
3
1.6%
Cavity wall, filled
2
1.0%
Other or not known
1
0.5%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
144
74.6%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
48
24.9%
Communal heating
1
0.5%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
38
19.7%
Under 200 mm
31
16.1%
200 mm or more
21
10.9%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
23
11.9%
Flat or other home above
69
35.8%
Other
11
5.7%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
169
87.6%
Single glazed
17
8.8%
Secondary glazing
6
3.1%
Triple glazed
1
0.5%
CDE
Energy rating: B 14 (7.3%) · C 45 (23.3%) · D 83 (43.0%) · E 40 (20.7%) · F 7 (3.6%) · G 4 (2.1%). Houses and bungalows: 10% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 2 December 2009.
Compared with Hillingdon and England
Share of homes
Northwood Town Centre, Green Lane
All 32 areas in Hillingdon
England
Solid walls, no insulation
49.7%
25.5%
48.7%
Gas boiler
74.6%
62.7%
66.4%
Rated D–G
69.4%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 54% 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 Hillingdon if in doubt.
Boundary: London Borough of Hillingdon via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44015556, reference CA-36, 11.7 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.