Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Grove Crescent conservation area
In the Grove Crescent conservation area (Kingston upon Thames), 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 1 listed building; on a listed building solar panels and heat pumps are not permitted development at all and need planning permission and listed building consent. 443 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 59.8% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 77.2% heat with a gas boiler and 56.0% are rated D–G; 0 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
443homes with an energy certificate
59.8%solid walls, no insulation
77.2%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: Kingston upon Thames 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 Grove Crescent
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: 1 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: 77% 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 = 443)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
265
59.8%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
60
13.5%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
33
7.4%
Cavity wall, unfilled
24
5.4%
Solid wall, insulated
17
3.8%
Timber frame
17
3.8%
Solid wall, internal insulation
14
3.2%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
6
1.4%
Cavity wall, filled
5
1.1%
Solid wall, external insulation
2
0.5%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
342
77.2%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
85
19.2%
Communal heating
16
3.6%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
48
10.8%
Under 200 mm
81
18.3%
200 mm or more
30
6.8%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
44
9.9%
Flat or other home above
220
49.7%
Other
20
4.5%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
383
86.5%
Single glazed
53
12.0%
Secondary glazing
6
1.4%
Triple glazed
1
0.2%
CDE
Energy rating: B 20 (4.5%) · C 175 (39.5%) · D 175 (39.5%) · E 66 (14.9%) · F 6 (1.4%) · G 1 (0.2%). Houses and bungalows: 23% of the homes; solar panels on 0.5% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 30 July 1985.
Compared with Kingston upon Thames and England
Share of homes
Grove Crescent
All 28 areas in Kingston upon Thames
England
Solid walls, no insulation
59.8%
57.0%
48.7%
Gas boiler
77.2%
81.2%
66.4%
Rated D–G
56.0%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 60% 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 Kingston upon Thames if in doubt.
Boundary: Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44016367, reference 26, 10.3 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.