Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Mossley Hill conservation area
In the Mossley Hill 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 15 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. 595 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 20.3% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 89.7% heat with a gas boiler and 29.7% are rated D–G; 3 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
595homes with an energy certificate
20.3%solid walls, no insulation
89.7%heated by a gas boiler
3heat 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. ("The Wheel House", 10 Elmsley Road, Liverpool, L18 8AZ; 8 Elmsley Road L18; Beeclyn, North Mossley Hill Rd L18; Coach House rear of Ravenscroft, St Annes Road, L17; Dale Hall, Elmswood Road, Liverpool, L18 8DQ; Former Garden Nursery , Carnatic Road , Liverpool , L18 8BY)
What needs planning permission in Mossley Hill
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: 15 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 2). 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: 68% 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 = 595)
Walls
Homes
Share
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
138
23.2%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
121
20.3%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
116
19.5%
Cavity wall, filled
64
10.8%
Cavity wall, unfilled
55
9.2%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
27
4.5%
Solid wall, internal insulation
27
4.5%
Timber frame
22
3.7%
Other or not known
11
1.8%
Solid wall, insulated
10
1.7%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
2
0.3%
Solid wall, partly insulated
2
0.3%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
534
89.7%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
54
9.1%
Communal heating
4
0.7%
Heat pump
3
0.5%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
26
4.4%
Under 200 mm
58
9.7%
200 mm or more
81
13.6%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
72
12.1%
Flat or other home above
268
45.0%
Other
90
15.1%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
559
93.9%
Single glazed
24
4.0%
Triple glazed
9
1.5%
Secondary glazing
3
0.5%
BCD
Energy rating: B 183 (30.8%) · C 235 (39.5%) · D 128 (21.5%) · E 34 (5.7%) · F 11 (1.8%) · G 4 (0.7%). Houses and bungalows: 32% of the homes; solar panels on 0.2% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1996-2002. Designated: 24 April 1996.
Compared with Liverpool and England
Share of homes
Mossley Hill
All 37 areas in Liverpool
England
Solid walls, no insulation
20.3%
41.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
89.7%
53.3%
66.4%
Rated D–G
29.7%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 54% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 29 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 44014312, reference CA017, 96.2 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.