Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Grassendale and Cressington Park conservation area
In the Grassendale and Cressington 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 17% 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 29 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. 169 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 67.5% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 85.2% heat with a gas boiler and 80.5% are rated D–G; 2 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
169homes with an energy certificate
67.5%solid walls, no insulation
85.2%heated by a gas boiler
2heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Liverpool covers part of this area (about 17% 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. (26-28 North Road, Liverpool, L19 0LR; 58 Knowsley Road, L19; 8 Grosvenor Road, Liverpool, L19 0PL; Land adjacent to 22 Eaton Road , Liverpool , LI9 0PF; Land adjacent to Mitford Lodge, at 31 South Road, L19; Land between "Binbrooke" and 22 Eaton Road, Liverpool, L19 0PW)
What needs planning permission in Grassendale and Cressington 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: 29 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: 31% 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 = 169)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
114
67.5%
Cavity wall, filled
16
9.5%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
13
7.7%
Cavity wall, unfilled
11
6.5%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
6
3.6%
Timber frame
3
1.8%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
2
1.2%
Solid wall, insulated
2
1.2%
Solid wall, internal insulation
1
0.6%
Solid wall, partly insulated
1
0.6%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
144
85.2%
Communal heating
16
9.5%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
6
3.6%
Heat pump
2
1.2%
LPG
1
0.6%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
45
26.6%
Under 200 mm
24
14.2%
200 mm or more
38
22.5%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
32
18.9%
Flat or other home above
24
14.2%
Other
6
3.6%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
117
69.2%
Single glazed
45
26.6%
Secondary glazing
6
3.6%
Triple glazed
1
0.6%
CDEF
Energy rating: A 2 (1.2%) · B 6 (3.6%) · C 25 (14.8%) · D 49 (29.0%) · E 62 (36.7%) · F 20 (11.8%) · G 5 (3.0%). Houses and bungalows: 69% 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
Grassendale and Cressington Park
All 37 areas in Liverpool
England
Solid walls, no insulation
67.5%
41.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
85.2%
53.3%
66.4%
Rated D–G
80.5%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 51% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 10 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 44014331, reference CA010, 26.5 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.