Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Canal conservation area
In the Canal conservation area (Nottingham), 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 8 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. 417 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 16.3% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 48.4% heat with a gas boiler and 34.5% are rated D–G; 8 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
417homes with an energy certificate
16.3%solid walls, no insulation
48.4%heated by a gas boiler
8heat pumps
Article 4: Nottingham does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Canal
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: 8 in the area. 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: 85% 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 = 417)
Walls
Homes
Share
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
142
34.1%
Solid wall, internal insulation
96
23.0%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
77
18.5%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
68
16.3%
Other or not known
14
3.4%
Solid wall, insulated
9
2.2%
Timber frame
7
1.7%
Cavity wall, unfilled
2
0.5%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
1
0.2%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
1
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
204
48.9%
Gas boiler
202
48.4%
Heat pump
8
1.9%
Communal heating
3
0.7%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
22
5.3%
Under 200 mm
12
2.9%
200 mm or more
21
5.0%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
39
9.4%
Flat or other home above
262
62.8%
Other
61
14.6%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
307
73.6%
Secondary glazing
83
19.9%
Single glazed
23
5.5%
Triple glazed
4
1.0%
BCD
Energy rating: B 132 (31.7%) · C 141 (33.8%) · D 116 (27.8%) · E 28 (6.7%). Houses and bungalows: 15% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 2025.
Compared with Nottingham and England
Share of homes
Canal
All 31 areas in Nottingham
England
Solid walls, no insulation
16.3%
36.4%
48.7%
Gas boiler
48.4%
57.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
34.5%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 78% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 17 September 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 Nottingham if in doubt.
Boundary: Nottingham City Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44014083, reference 3015, 12.3 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.