Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Hinckley - Town Centre conservation area
In the Hinckley - Town Centre conservation area (Hinckley and Bosworth), 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 23 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. 291 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 32.0% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 30.9% heat with a gas boiler and 50.5% 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
291homes with an energy certificate
32.0%solid walls, no insulation
30.9%heated by a gas boiler
1heat pumps
Article 4: Hinckley and Bosworth does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Hinckley - Town Centre
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: 23 in the area (grade I: 0, 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: 85% 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 = 291)
Walls
Homes
Share
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
94
32.3%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
93
32.0%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
33
11.3%
Solid wall, internal insulation
29
10.0%
Solid wall, insulated
26
8.9%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
7
2.4%
Cavity wall, unfilled
5
1.7%
Cavity wall, filled
3
1.0%
Timber frame
1
0.3%
Heating
Homes
Share
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
199
68.4%
Gas boiler
90
30.9%
Communal heating
1
0.3%
Heat pump
1
0.3%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
24
8.2%
Under 200 mm
21
7.2%
200 mm or more
51
17.5%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
37
12.7%
Flat or other home above
109
37.5%
Other
49
16.8%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
266
91.4%
Triple glazed
14
4.8%
Single glazed
7
2.4%
Secondary glazing
4
1.4%
BCDE
Energy rating: A 2 (0.7%) · B 52 (17.9%) · C 90 (30.9%) · D 89 (30.6%) · E 54 (18.6%) · F 3 (1.0%) · G 1 (0.3%). Houses and bungalows: 15% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929.
Compared with Hinckley and Bosworth and England
Share of homes
Hinckley - Town Centre
All 28 areas in Hinckley and Bosworth
England
Solid walls, no insulation
32.0%
44.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
30.9%
62.2%
66.4%
Rated D–G
50.5%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 54% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 22 September 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 Hinckley and Bosworth if in doubt.
Boundary: Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44001600, reference 4511, 18.6 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.