Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Sefton Park conservation area
In the Sefton 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 35% 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, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 42 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. 2,204 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 35.5% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 67.9% heat with a gas boiler and 35.3% 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
2,204homes with an energy certificate
35.5%solid walls, no insulation
67.9%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Liverpool covers part of this area (about 35% 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, so there these need planning permission too. (Land adjacent to 28 Aigburth Drive, Liverpool, L17 4JH; Land adjacent to, 28 Aigburth Drive, Liverpool, L17 4JH; 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; The Stables, Ashbury Brook (Formerly Council Depot/Nursery), Ibbotson's Lane, Liverpool, L17 1AL)
What needs planning permission in Sefton 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: 42 in the area (grade I: 3, II*: 3). 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: 95% 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 = 2,204)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
782
35.5%
Cavity wall, filled
606
27.5%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
262
11.9%
Cavity wall, unfilled
123
5.6%
Solid wall, internal insulation
94
4.3%
Other or not known
78
3.5%
Solid wall, insulated
74
3.4%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
64
2.9%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
45
2.0%
Timber frame
44
2.0%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
17
0.8%
Solid wall, partly insulated
12
0.5%
Solid wall, external insulation
3
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
1,496
67.9%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
450
20.4%
Communal heating
257
11.7%
LPG
1
0.0%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
170
7.7%
Under 200 mm
103
4.7%
200 mm or more
241
10.9%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
192
8.7%
Flat or other home above
1,464
66.4%
Other
34
1.5%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
1,906
86.5%
Single glazed
278
12.6%
Secondary glazing
20
0.9%
CDE
Energy rating: A 1 (0.0%) · B 106 (4.8%) · C 1,320 (59.9%) · D 548 (24.9%) · E 194 (8.8%) · F 27 (1.2%) · G 8 (0.4%). Houses and bungalows: 5% 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
Sefton Park
All 37 areas in Liverpool
England
Solid walls, no insulation
35.5%
41.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
67.9%
53.3%
66.4%
Rated D–G
35.3%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 50% 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 44014320, reference CA026, 176.8 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.