Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Duke Street (7960) conservation area
In the Duke 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, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 70 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. 2,364 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 11.3% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 9.1% heat with a gas boiler and 16.1% are rated D–G; 6 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
2,364homes with an energy certificate
11.3%solid walls, no insulation
9.1%heated by a gas boiler
6heat 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, so there these need planning permission too. (108 Wood Street, Liverpool, L1 4DH; 18-24 Seel Street, Liverpool, L1 4AU; 3-4 Bold Place, L3; 54 Bold Street, Liverpool, L1 4EA; 78 Duke Street, Liverpool, L1; 9-19 Bold Street, Liverpool, L1)
What needs planning permission in Duke 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: 70 in the area (grade I: 2, II*: 8). 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: 98% 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 = 2,364)
Walls
Homes
Share
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
891
37.7%
Other or not known
733
31.0%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
268
11.3%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
221
9.3%
Solid wall, insulated
114
4.8%
Solid wall, internal insulation
90
3.8%
Timber frame
36
1.5%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
3
0.1%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
3
0.1%
Cavity wall, unfilled
3
0.1%
Cavity wall, filled
1
0.0%
Solid wall, partly insulated
1
0.0%
Heating
Homes
Share
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
2,117
89.6%
Gas boiler
215
9.1%
Communal heating
26
1.1%
Heat pump
6
0.3%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
61
2.6%
Under 200 mm
15
0.6%
200 mm or more
57
2.4%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
214
9.1%
Flat or other home above
1,844
78.0%
Other
173
7.3%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
2,173
91.9%
Secondary glazing
92
3.9%
Single glazed
83
3.5%
Triple glazed
16
0.7%
BCD
Energy rating: A 178 (7.5%) · B 702 (29.7%) · C 1,103 (46.7%) · D 265 (11.2%) · E 96 (4.1%) · F 11 (0.5%) · G 9 (0.4%). Houses and bungalows: 2% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 2003-2006.
Compared with Liverpool and England
Share of homes
Duke Street
All 37 areas in Liverpool
England
Solid walls, no insulation
11.3%
41.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
9.1%
53.3%
66.4%
Rated D–G
16.1%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 50% 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 44016952, reference 7960, 26.6 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.