Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Canning Street conservation area
In the Canning Street conservation area (Liverpool), 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 Liverpool 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 157 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. 2,582 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 52.5% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 53.8% heat with a gas boiler and 42.7% 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
2,582homes with an energy certificate
52.5%solid walls, no insulation
53.8%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Liverpool 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. (146 Upper Parliament Street, Liverpool, L8; 2A Myrtle Street, Liverpool, L7; FALKNER STREET, L8; Federation House, Hope Street, Liverpool, L1; Former Trade Union and Unemployment Resource Centre Building , Hardman Street/Hope Street , Liverpool, L1 9BG; The Liverpool (Anfield, Central, Greenbank, Kensington and Fairfield, Picton, Princess Park, Riverside, Tuebrook and Stoneycroft and Wavertree wards and parts of Kirkdale and Church wards) (Article 4(1)) Direction 2020)
What needs planning permission in Canning Street
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: 157 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 7). 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: 90% 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 = 2,582)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
1,356
52.5%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
444
17.2%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
300
11.6%
Cavity wall, filled
194
7.5%
Timber frame
121
4.7%
Cavity wall, unfilled
44
1.7%
Solid wall, internal insulation
43
1.7%
Solid wall, insulated
31
1.2%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
29
1.1%
Other or not known
9
0.3%
Solid wall, partly insulated
6
0.2%
Solid wall, external insulation
3
0.1%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
2
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
1,389
53.8%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
977
37.8%
Communal heating
212
8.2%
Other
2
0.1%
LPG
1
0.0%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
1
0.0%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
208
8.1%
Under 200 mm
148
5.7%
200 mm or more
241
9.3%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
219
8.5%
Flat or other home above
1,565
60.6%
Other
201
7.8%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
1,412
54.7%
Single glazed
697
27.0%
Secondary glazing
471
18.2%
Other
2
0.1%
BCDE
Energy rating: A 11 (0.4%) · B 283 (11.0%) · C 1,186 (45.9%) · D 809 (31.3%) · E 240 (9.3%) · F 38 (1.5%) · G 15 (0.6%). Houses and bungalows: 10% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 24 April 1996.
Compared with Liverpool and England
Share of homes
Canning Street
All 37 areas in Liverpool
England
Solid walls, no insulation
52.5%
41.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
53.8%
53.3%
66.4%
Rated D–G
42.7%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 57% 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 Liverpool if in doubt.
Boundary: Liverpool City Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44014340, reference CA002, 40.6 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.