Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Highbury Fields conservation area
In the Highbury Fields conservation area (Islington), 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 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. 1,206 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 66.8% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 87.1% heat with a gas boiler and 47.3% are rated D–G; 10 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
1,206homes with an energy certificate
66.8%solid walls, no insulation
87.1%heated by a gas boiler
10heat pumps
Article 4: Islington does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Highbury Fields
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: 22 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: 84% 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 = 1,206)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
806
66.8%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
92
7.6%
Other or not known
81
6.7%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
49
4.1%
Cavity wall, filled
44
3.6%
Cavity wall, unfilled
35
2.9%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
34
2.8%
Timber frame
29
2.4%
Solid wall, insulated
18
1.5%
Solid wall, internal insulation
14
1.2%
Solid wall, partly insulated
3
0.2%
Solid wall, external insulation
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
1,050
87.1%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
93
7.7%
Communal heating
52
4.3%
Heat pump
10
0.8%
LPG
1
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
164
13.6%
Under 200 mm
97
8.0%
200 mm or more
26
2.2%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
181
15.0%
Flat or other home above
701
58.2%
Other
36
3.0%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
697
57.8%
Single glazed
427
35.4%
Secondary glazing
41
3.4%
Triple glazed
41
3.4%
CD
Energy rating: B 76 (6.3%) · C 559 (46.4%) · D 452 (37.5%) · E 91 (7.5%) · F 19 (1.6%) · G 9 (0.7%). Houses and bungalows: 16% of the homes; solar panels on 0.2% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900.
Compared with Islington and England
Share of homes
Highbury Fields
All 41 areas in Islington
England
Solid walls, no insulation
66.8%
67.1%
48.7%
Gas boiler
87.1%
79.1%
66.4%
Rated D–G
47.3%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 51% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 30 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 Islington if in doubt.
Boundary: London Borough of Islington via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44009002, reference 181_ISL_CA5, 37.3 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.