Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Ruislip Village conservation area
In the Ruislip Village 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 22 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. 748 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 30.6% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 71.4% heat with a gas boiler and 47.9% are rated D–G; 3 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
748homes with an energy certificate
30.6%solid walls, no insulation
71.4%heated by a gas boiler
3heat 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 Ruislip Village
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: 22 in the area (grade I: 1, II*: 2). 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 = 748)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
229
30.6%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
155
20.7%
Cavity wall, unfilled
92
12.3%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
91
12.2%
Timber frame
59
7.9%
Cavity wall, filled
58
7.8%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
38
5.1%
Other or not known
13
1.7%
Solid wall, insulated
5
0.7%
Solid wall, internal insulation
4
0.5%
Solid wall, external insulation
3
0.4%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
534
71.4%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
137
18.3%
Communal heating
74
9.9%
Heat pump
3
0.4%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
91
12.2%
Under 200 mm
146
19.5%
200 mm or more
92
12.3%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
122
16.3%
Flat or other home above
235
31.4%
Other
62
8.3%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
697
93.3%
Single glazed
38
5.1%
Secondary glazing
11
1.5%
Triple glazed
1
0.1%
BCDE
Energy rating: B 91 (12.2%) · C 299 (40.0%) · D 225 (30.1%) · E 104 (13.9%) · F 26 (3.5%) · G 3 (0.4%). Houses and bungalows: 36% of the homes; solar panels on 0.5% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1930-1949.
Compared with Hillingdon and England
Share of homes
Ruislip Village
All 32 areas in Hillingdon
England
Solid walls, no insulation
30.6%
25.5%
48.7%
Gas boiler
71.4%
62.7%
66.4%
Rated D–G
47.9%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 54% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 15 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 44015525, reference CA-3, 55.5 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.