Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Hunts Cross Avenue conservation area
In the Hunts Cross Avenue 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. 351 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 0.9% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 99.4% heat with a gas boiler and 51.0% 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
351homes with an energy certificate
0.9%solid walls, no insulation
99.4%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: Liverpool publishes its Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk and none overlaps this area; a direction can still exist on paper, so check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Hunts Cross Avenue
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
No permission needed (permitted development)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: none recorded inside the boundary; on a listed building, solar panels and heat pumps are not permitted development and need listed building consent.
Flats: 22% 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 = 351)
Walls
Homes
Share
Cavity wall, filled
274
78.1%
Cavity wall, unfilled
69
19.7%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
3
0.9%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
3
0.9%
Other or not known
1
0.3%
Timber frame
1
0.3%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
349
99.4%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
2
0.6%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
41
11.7%
Under 200 mm
85
24.2%
200 mm or more
176
50.1%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
7
2.0%
Flat or other home above
42
12.0%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
338
96.3%
Single glazed
13
3.7%
CDE
Energy rating: B 1 (0.3%) · C 171 (48.7%) · D 141 (40.2%) · E 30 (8.5%) · F 8 (2.3%). Houses and bungalows: 78% of the homes; solar panels on 0.3% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1930-1949. Designated: 4 August 1971.
Compared with Liverpool and England
Share of homes
Hunts Cross Avenue
All 37 areas in Liverpool
England
Solid walls, no insulation
0.9%
41.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
99.4%
53.3%
66.4%
Rated D–G
51.0%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 70% 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 44014334, reference CA013, 10.9 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.