Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Old Market Square conservation area
In the Old Market Square 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 124 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. 726 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 6.9% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 5.6% heat with a gas boiler and 39.1% are rated D–G; 5 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
726homes with an energy certificate
6.9%solid walls, no insulation
5.6%heated by a gas boiler
5heat pumps
Article 4: Nottingham does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Old Market Square
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: 124 in the area (grade I: 1, II*: 12). 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: 100% 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 = 726)
Walls
Homes
Share
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
171
23.6%
Other or not known
169
23.3%
Solid wall, internal insulation
161
22.2%
Solid wall, insulated
119
16.4%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
50
6.9%
Solid wall, partly insulated
23
3.2%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
16
2.2%
Timber frame
6
0.8%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
4
0.6%
Cavity wall, unfilled
4
0.6%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
2
0.3%
Cavity wall, filled
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
604
83.2%
Communal heating
76
10.5%
Gas boiler
41
5.6%
Heat pump
5
0.7%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
8
1.1%
Under 200 mm
7
1.0%
200 mm or more
26
3.6%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
89
12.3%
Flat or other home above
477
65.7%
Other
119
16.4%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
544
74.9%
Secondary glazing
136
18.7%
Single glazed
45
6.2%
Triple glazed
1
0.1%
BCDE
Energy rating: B 73 (10.1%) · C 369 (50.8%) · D 211 (29.1%) · E 72 (9.9%) · F 1 (0.1%). Houses and bungalows: 0% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 2012 onwards.
Compared with Nottingham and England
Share of homes
Old Market Square
All 31 areas in Nottingham
England
Solid walls, no insulation
6.9%
36.4%
48.7%
Gas boiler
5.6%
57.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
39.1%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 68% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 13 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 Nottingham if in doubt.
Boundary: Nottingham City Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44014085, reference 3029, 22.2 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.