Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Greyfriars conservation area
In the Greyfriars conservation area (Leicester), 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 38 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. 252 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 27.0% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 37.7% heat with a gas boiler and 46.4% are rated D–G; 26 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
252homes with an energy certificate
27.0%solid walls, no insulation
37.7%heated by a gas boiler
26heat pumps
Article 4: Leicester 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 Greyfriars
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: 38 in the area (grade I: 1, II*: 4). 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: 88% 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 = 252)
Walls
Homes
Share
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
71
28.2%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
68
27.0%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
41
16.3%
Solid wall, internal insulation
37
14.7%
Solid wall, insulated
16
6.3%
Other or not known
8
3.2%
Cavity wall, unfilled
5
2.0%
Timber frame
4
1.6%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
1
0.4%
Solid wall, partly insulated
1
0.4%
Heating
Homes
Share
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
113
44.8%
Gas boiler
95
37.7%
Heat pump
26
10.3%
Communal heating
18
7.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
20
7.9%
Under 200 mm
11
4.4%
200 mm or more
15
6.0%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
21
8.3%
Flat or other home above
146
57.9%
Other
39
15.5%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
186
73.8%
Single glazed
37
14.7%
Secondary glazing
29
11.5%
BCDE
Energy rating: B 45 (17.9%) · C 90 (35.7%) · D 76 (30.2%) · E 38 (15.1%) · F 3 (1.2%). Houses and bungalows: 12% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 6 December 2014.
Compared with Leicester and England
Share of homes
Greyfriars
All 25 areas in Leicester
England
Solid walls, no insulation
27.0%
43.4%
48.7%
Gas boiler
37.7%
45.7%
66.4%
Rated D–G
46.4%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 66% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 1 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 Leicester if in doubt.
Boundary: Leicester City Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44012363, reference GF_v1, 6.7 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.