Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Sheringham conservation area
In the Sheringham conservation area (North Norfolk), 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. 339 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 65.5% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 78.2% heat with a gas boiler and 77.3% are rated D–G; 3 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
339homes with an energy certificate
65.5%solid walls, no insulation
78.2%heated by a gas boiler
3heat pumps
Article 4: North Norfolk publishes its Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk and none overlaps this area; a direction can still exist on paper, so check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Sheringham
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
No permission needed (permitted development)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: none recorded inside the boundary; on a listed building, solar panels and heat pumps are not permitted development and need listed building consent.
Flats: 29% 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 = 339)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
222
65.5%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
27
8.0%
Cavity wall, unfilled
25
7.4%
Solid wall, internal insulation
22
6.5%
Cavity wall, filled
13
3.8%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
11
3.2%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
7
2.1%
Timber frame
5
1.5%
Solid wall, insulated
4
1.2%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
2
0.6%
Solid wall, partly insulated
1
0.3%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
265
78.2%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
65
19.2%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
4
1.2%
Heat pump
3
0.9%
Communal heating
2
0.6%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
58
17.1%
Under 200 mm
98
28.9%
200 mm or more
101
29.8%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
44
13.0%
Flat or other home above
29
8.6%
Other
9
2.7%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
318
93.8%
Single glazed
18
5.3%
Secondary glazing
3
0.9%
CDEF
Energy rating: B 3 (0.9%) · C 74 (21.8%) · D 148 (43.7%) · E 74 (21.8%) · F 32 (9.4%) · G 8 (2.4%). Houses and bungalows: 71% of the homes; solar panels on 0.6% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 8 October 1976.
Compared with North Norfolk and England
Share of homes
Sheringham
All 91 areas in North Norfolk
England
Solid walls, no insulation
65.5%
50.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
78.2%
40.3%
66.4%
Rated D–G
77.3%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 50% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 28 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 Norfolk if in doubt.
Boundary: North Norfolk District Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44015048, reference CONA/87/1, 13.1 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.