Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Fulwood Park conservation area
In the Fulwood Park 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 part of this area (about 13% of it) 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 14 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. 177 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 25.4% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 61.0% heat with a gas boiler and 36.7% 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
177homes with an energy certificate
25.4%solid walls, no insulation
61.0%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Liverpool covers part of this area (about 13% of it) 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. (1/3 Osborne Wood and 13 Fulwood Park L17; 10/10a Fulwood Park L17; Land fronting NW side Fulwood Park, L17; Westmorland, Fulwood Park, Liverpool, L17 5AH)
What needs planning permission in Fulwood Park
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
Inside the Article 4 part of the area: planning permission needed; elsewhere: no permission needed (permitted development)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: 14 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: 66% 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 = 177)
Walls
Homes
Share
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
93
52.5%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
45
25.4%
Cavity wall, unfilled
9
5.1%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
8
4.5%
Cavity wall, filled
6
3.4%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
6
3.4%
Solid wall, insulated
5
2.8%
Solid wall, internal insulation
3
1.7%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
1
0.6%
Timber frame
1
0.6%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
108
61.0%
Communal heating
35
19.8%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
32
18.1%
LPG
1
0.6%
Oil
1
0.6%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
20
11.3%
Under 200 mm
21
11.9%
200 mm or more
26
14.7%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
31
17.5%
Flat or other home above
73
41.2%
Other
6
3.4%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
150
84.7%
Single glazed
22
12.4%
Secondary glazing
5
2.8%
CD
Energy rating: A 1 (0.6%) · B 10 (5.6%) · C 101 (57.1%) · D 36 (20.3%) · E 11 (6.2%) · F 13 (7.3%) · G 5 (2.8%). Houses and bungalows: 34% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1983-1990. Designated: 24 April 1996.
Compared with Liverpool and England
Share of homes
Fulwood Park
All 37 areas in Liverpool
England
Solid walls, no insulation
25.4%
41.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
61.0%
53.3%
66.4%
Rated D–G
36.7%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 35% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 28 September 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 44014328, reference CA008, 17.7 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.