Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Lymington conservation area
In the Lymington conservation area (New Forest), 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 New Forest covers this area, but the published data does not say which rights it removes — check the direction before any work. The area has 190 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. 964 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 24.0% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 75.4% heat with a gas boiler and 52.6% are rated D–G; 4 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
964homes with an energy certificate
24.0%solid walls, no insulation
75.4%heated by a gas boiler
4heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by New Forest covers this area, but the published data does not say which rights it removes — check the direction before any work. (ARTICLE 4 DIRECTION 97/1; Hovercraft in the Solent)
What needs planning permission in Lymington
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), unless an Article 4 direction removes it — check with the council
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), unless an Article 4 direction removes it — check with the council
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)
Prior approval of appearance from the council, unless an Article 4 direction removes it — check with the council
Replacement windows and doors of similar appearance
No permission needed (permitted development), unless an Article 4 direction removes it — check with the council
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: 190 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 11). 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: 55% 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 = 964)
Walls
Homes
Share
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
320
33.2%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
231
24.0%
Cavity wall, unfilled
138
14.3%
Cavity wall, filled
77
8.0%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
60
6.2%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
49
5.1%
Timber frame
47
4.9%
Solid wall, internal insulation
22
2.3%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
8
0.8%
Other or not known
6
0.6%
Solid wall, insulated
3
0.3%
Solid wall, partly insulated
2
0.2%
Solid wall, external insulation
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
727
75.4%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
225
23.3%
Communal heating
8
0.8%
Heat pump
4
0.4%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
103
10.7%
Under 200 mm
178
18.5%
200 mm or more
190
19.7%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
207
21.5%
Flat or other home above
236
24.5%
Other
50
5.2%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
846
87.8%
Single glazed
83
8.6%
Secondary glazing
26
2.7%
Triple glazed
9
0.9%
CDE
Energy rating: A 1 (0.1%) · B 74 (7.7%) · C 382 (39.6%) · D 346 (35.9%) · E 128 (13.3%) · F 28 (2.9%) · G 5 (0.5%). Houses and bungalows: 45% of the homes; solar panels on 0.3% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 1 December 1999.
Compared with New Forest and England
Share of homes
Lymington
All 22 areas in New Forest
England
Solid walls, no insulation
24.0%
21.3%
48.7%
Gas boiler
75.4%
53.4%
66.4%
Rated D–G
52.6%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 56% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 22 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 New Forest if in doubt.
Boundary: New Forest District Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44006963, reference CONA26, 51.4 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.