Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Appleby conservation area
In the Appleby conservation area (North Lincolnshire), 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 North Lincolnshire covers part of this area (about 27% of it) and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 17 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. 110 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 37.3% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 0.0% heat with a gas boiler and 80.9% are rated D–G; 17 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
110homes with an energy certificate
37.3%solid walls, no insulation
0.0%heated by a gas boiler
17heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by North Lincolnshire covers part of this area (about 27% of it) and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, so there these need planning permission too. (Appleby)
What needs planning permission in Appleby
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: 17 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 1). 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: 0% 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 = 110)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
41
37.3%
Cavity wall, filled
29
26.4%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
19
17.3%
Cavity wall, unfilled
8
7.3%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
4
3.6%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
3
2.7%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
2
1.8%
Solid wall, internal insulation
2
1.8%
Solid wall, external insulation
1
0.9%
Timber frame
1
0.9%
Heating
Homes
Share
Oil
68
61.8%
Heat pump
17
15.5%
LPG
9
8.2%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
8
7.3%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
7
6.4%
Communal heating
1
0.9%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
12
10.9%
Under 200 mm
21
19.1%
200 mm or more
64
58.2%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
9
8.2%
Other
4
3.6%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
99
90.0%
Single glazed
10
9.1%
Triple glazed
1
0.9%
CDEF
Energy rating: A 4 (3.6%) · B 6 (5.5%) · C 11 (10.0%) · D 31 (28.2%) · E 35 (31.8%) · F 16 (14.5%) · G 7 (6.4%). Houses and bungalows: 100% of the homes; solar panels on 3.6% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 1 January 1972.
Compared with North Lincolnshire and England
Share of homes
Appleby
All 17 areas in North Lincolnshire
England
Solid walls, no insulation
37.3%
56.5%
48.7%
Gas boiler
0.0%
80.7%
66.4%
Rated D–G
80.9%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 39% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 13 May 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 Lincolnshire if in doubt.
Boundary: North Lincolnshire Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44005178, reference DLS1916, 42.7 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.