Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Princes Park conservation area
In the Princes 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 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 41 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. 1,459 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 53.7% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 72.2% heat with a gas boiler and 50.4% are rated D–G; 1 has 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
1,459homes with an energy certificate
53.7%solid walls, no insulation
72.2%heated by a gas boiler
1heat 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. (1-3 Croxteth Road, L8 3SE; Former Garages, Wellesley Road , Liverpool , L8 3SU; The Liverpool (Anfield, Central, Greenbank, Kensington and Fairfield, Picton, Princess Park, Riverside, Tuebrook and Stoneycroft and Wavertree wards and parts of Kirkdale and Church wards) (Article 4(1)) Direction 2020)
What needs planning permission in Princes 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
Planning permission needed (an Article 4 direction here removes this right)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: 41 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: 93% 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 = 1,459)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
784
53.7%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
134
9.2%
Other or not known
117
8.0%
Solid wall, internal insulation
99
6.8%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
80
5.5%
Solid wall, insulated
64
4.4%
Cavity wall, filled
59
4.0%
Cavity wall, unfilled
32
2.2%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
28
1.9%
Timber frame
27
1.9%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
26
1.8%
Solid wall, external insulation
8
0.5%
Solid wall, partly insulated
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
1,053
72.2%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
351
24.1%
Communal heating
52
3.6%
LPG
2
0.1%
Heat pump
1
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
150
10.3%
Under 200 mm
70
4.8%
200 mm or more
153
10.5%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
99
6.8%
Flat or other home above
953
65.3%
Other
34
2.3%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
1,074
73.6%
Single glazed
345
23.6%
Secondary glazing
40
2.7%
CDE
Energy rating: B 53 (3.6%) · C 670 (45.9%) · D 538 (36.9%) · E 162 (11.1%) · F 24 (1.6%) · G 12 (0.8%). Houses and bungalows: 7% of the homes; solar panels on 0.3% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 24 April 1996.
Compared with Liverpool and England
Share of homes
Princes Park
All 37 areas in Liverpool
England
Solid walls, no insulation
53.7%
41.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
72.2%
53.3%
66.4%
Rated D–G
50.4%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 55% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 26 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 44014317, reference CA023, 55.7 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.