Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Huntingdon conservation area
In the Huntingdon conservation area (Huntingdonshire), 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 119 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. 1,875 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 32.2% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 54.2% heat with a gas boiler and 45.2% are rated D–G; 4 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
1,875homes with an energy certificate
32.2%solid walls, no insulation
54.2%heated by a gas boiler
4heat pumps
Article 4: Huntingdonshire publishes its Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk and none overlaps this area; a direction can still exist on paper, so check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Huntingdon
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
No permission needed (permitted development)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: 119 in the area (grade I: 5, II*: 8). 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 = 1,875)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
603
32.2%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
502
26.8%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
346
18.5%
Timber frame
94
5.0%
Cavity wall, filled
88
4.7%
Other or not known
66
3.5%
Cavity wall, unfilled
60
3.2%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
35
1.9%
Solid wall, internal insulation
30
1.6%
Solid wall, insulated
29
1.5%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
12
0.6%
Solid wall, partly insulated
7
0.4%
Solid wall, external insulation
3
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
1,016
54.2%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
737
39.3%
Communal heating
114
6.1%
Heat pump
4
0.2%
Oil
4
0.2%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
128
6.8%
Under 200 mm
256
13.7%
200 mm or more
320
17.1%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
279
14.9%
Flat or other home above
700
37.3%
Other
192
10.2%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
1,638
87.4%
Single glazed
182
9.7%
Secondary glazing
51
2.7%
Triple glazed
4
0.2%
BCDE
Energy rating: A 12 (0.6%) · B 303 (16.2%) · C 713 (38.0%) · D 556 (29.7%) · E 245 (13.1%) · F 36 (1.9%) · G 10 (0.5%). Houses and bungalows: 36% of the homes; solar panels on 0.5% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 13 December 2007.
Compared with Huntingdonshire and England
Share of homes
Huntingdon
All 60 areas in Huntingdonshire
England
Solid walls, no insulation
32.2%
33.3%
48.7%
Gas boiler
54.2%
66.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
45.2%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 54% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 28 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 Huntingdonshire if in doubt.
Boundary: Huntingdonshire District Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44015660, reference CONARA/00058, 203.3 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.