Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in New Walk conservation area
In the New Walk 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. An Article 4 direction published by Leicester 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), painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 37 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. 1,520 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 34.1% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 31.8% heat with a gas boiler and 39.9% are rated D–G; 18 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
1,520homes with an energy certificate
34.1%solid walls, no insulation
31.8%heated by a gas boiler
18heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Leicester 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), painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. (Holy Trinity Housing Action Area; Houses in Multiple Occupation - 2013; Leicester City Council HMO Article 4 Direction 2021; New Walk Conservation Area)
What needs planning permission in New Walk
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: 37 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 1). 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: 92% 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 = 1,520)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
518
34.1%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
491
32.3%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
161
10.6%
Solid wall, internal insulation
149
9.8%
Solid wall, insulated
85
5.6%
Timber frame
63
4.1%
Other or not known
24
1.6%
Cavity wall, unfilled
11
0.7%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
8
0.5%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
4
0.3%
Solid wall, partly insulated
4
0.3%
Cavity wall, filled
1
0.1%
Solid wall, external insulation
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
881
58.0%
Gas boiler
483
31.8%
Communal heating
137
9.0%
Heat pump
18
1.2%
Oil
1
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
94
6.2%
Under 200 mm
108
7.1%
200 mm or more
131
8.6%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
93
6.1%
Flat or other home above
874
57.5%
Other
220
14.5%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
1,219
80.2%
Single glazed
201
13.2%
Secondary glazing
96
6.3%
Triple glazed
3
0.2%
Other
1
0.1%
BCDE
Energy rating: A 1 (0.1%) · B 175 (11.5%) · C 737 (48.5%) · D 419 (27.6%) · E 169 (11.1%) · F 17 (1.1%) · G 2 (0.1%). Houses and bungalows: 8% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 25 March 1969.
Compared with Leicester and England
Share of homes
New Walk
All 25 areas in Leicester
England
Solid walls, no insulation
34.1%
43.4%
48.7%
Gas boiler
31.8%
45.7%
66.4%
Rated D–G
39.9%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 63% 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 Leicester if in doubt.
Boundary: Leicester City Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44012353, reference NW_v1, 29.7 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.