Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Barnstaple - Town Centre conservation area
In the Barnstaple - Town Centre conservation area (North Devon), 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. The area has 226 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. 855 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 51.7% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 55.0% heat with a gas boiler and 60.0% are rated D–G; 9 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
855homes with an energy certificate
51.7%solid walls, no insulation
55.0%heated by a gas boiler
9heat pumps
Article 4: North Devon does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Barnstaple - Town Centre
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: 226 in the area (grade I: 5, II*: 10). 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: 69% 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 = 855)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
442
51.7%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
147
17.2%
Solid wall, internal insulation
66
7.7%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
58
6.8%
Timber frame
54
6.3%
Solid wall, insulated
34
4.0%
Cavity wall, unfilled
23
2.7%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
12
1.4%
Cavity wall, filled
11
1.3%
Solid wall, partly insulated
6
0.7%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
1
0.1%
Other or not known
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
470
55.0%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
320
37.4%
Communal heating
55
6.4%
Heat pump
9
1.1%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
1
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
110
12.9%
Under 200 mm
135
15.8%
200 mm or more
193
22.6%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
83
9.7%
Flat or other home above
294
34.4%
Other
40
4.7%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
696
81.5%
Single glazed
122
14.3%
Secondary glazing
35
4.1%
Triple glazed
1
0.1%
BCDE
Energy rating: A 1 (0.1%) · B 74 (8.7%) · C 267 (31.2%) · D 302 (35.3%) · E 170 (19.9%) · F 23 (2.7%) · G 18 (2.1%). Houses and bungalows: 31% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 1 January 1969.
Compared with North Devon and England
Share of homes
Barnstaple - Town Centre
All 41 areas in North Devon
England
Solid walls, no insulation
51.7%
58.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
55.0%
65.3%
66.4%
Rated D–G
60.0%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 58% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 18 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 North Devon if in doubt.
Boundary: North Devon District Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44006694, reference 4877, 36.3 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.