Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Norwich Road / Anglesea Road conservation area
In the Norwich Road / Anglesea Road conservation area (Ipswich), 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 Ipswich covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), chimneys, flues and soil pipes, painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 14 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. 265 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 79.6% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 83.8% heat with a gas boiler and 80.0% are rated D–G; 2 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
265homes with an energy certificate
79.6%solid walls, no insulation
83.8%heated by a gas boiler
2heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Ipswich covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), chimneys, flues and soil pipes, painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. (Anglesea Road/Norwich Road Conservation Area Article 4 Direction; Article 4 Direction for Small HMOs)
What needs planning permission in Norwich Road / Anglesea Road
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: 14 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: 37% 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 = 265)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
211
79.6%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
10
3.8%
Cavity wall, filled
9
3.4%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
9
3.4%
Solid wall, internal insulation
9
3.4%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
8
3.0%
Cavity wall, unfilled
5
1.9%
Other or not known
1
0.4%
Solid wall, insulated
1
0.4%
Solid wall, partly insulated
1
0.4%
Timber frame
1
0.4%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
222
83.8%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
40
15.1%
Heat pump
2
0.8%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
1
0.4%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
48
18.2%
Under 200 mm
75
28.4%
200 mm or more
64
24.2%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
13
4.9%
Flat or other home above
60
22.7%
Other
4
1.5%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
166
62.6%
Single glazed
81
30.6%
Secondary glazing
18
6.8%
CDE
Energy rating: B 3 (1.1%) · C 50 (18.9%) · D 117 (44.2%) · E 84 (31.7%) · F 10 (3.8%) · G 1 (0.4%). Houses and bungalows: 63% of the homes; solar panels on 0.4% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 23 September 2003.
Compared with Ipswich and England
Share of homes
Norwich Road / Anglesea Road
All 15 areas in Ipswich
England
Solid walls, no insulation
79.6%
39.4%
48.7%
Gas boiler
83.8%
42.5%
66.4%
Rated D–G
80.0%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 49% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 18 August 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 Ipswich if in doubt.
Boundary: Ipswich Borough Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44015761, reference CA02, 12.6 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.