Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in The Park conservation area
In the The Park conservation area (Peterborough), 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 Peterborough covers part of this area (about 39% of it) and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 1 listed building; on a listed building solar panels and heat pumps are not permitted development at all and need planning permission and listed building consent. 834 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 35.1% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 60.7% heat with a gas boiler and 45.9% are rated D–G; 22 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
834homes with an energy certificate
35.1%solid walls, no insulation
60.7%heated by a gas boiler
22heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Peterborough covers part of this area (about 39% of it) and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. (176-184 (even) Park Road,; 194 Park Road,; 195 Park Road,; 2-14 (even) Church Walk,; 205 and 207 Park Road,; 98-114 (even), 118-136 (even) Broadway,)
What needs planning permission in The Park
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: 1 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: 78% 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 = 834)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
293
35.1%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
205
24.6%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
173
20.7%
Cavity wall, filled
34
4.1%
Cavity wall, unfilled
25
3.0%
Timber frame
24
2.9%
Solid wall, insulated
19
2.3%
Solid wall, internal insulation
16
1.9%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
15
1.8%
Other or not known
15
1.8%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
14
1.7%
Solid wall, external insulation
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
506
60.7%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
237
28.4%
Communal heating
67
8.0%
Heat pump
22
2.6%
Oil
2
0.2%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
50
6.0%
Under 200 mm
103
12.4%
200 mm or more
148
17.7%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
67
8.0%
Flat or other home above
374
44.8%
Other
92
11.0%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
750
89.9%
Single glazed
57
6.8%
Triple glazed
14
1.7%
Secondary glazing
13
1.6%
BCDE
Energy rating: A 3 (0.4%) · B 79 (9.5%) · C 369 (44.2%) · D 255 (30.6%) · E 107 (12.8%) · F 18 (2.2%) · G 3 (0.4%). Houses and bungalows: 22% of the homes; solar panels on 0.5% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 7 September 1988.
Compared with Peterborough and England
Share of homes
The Park
All 29 areas in Peterborough
England
Solid walls, no insulation
35.1%
40.0%
48.7%
Gas boiler
60.7%
59.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
45.9%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 50% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 31 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 Peterborough if in doubt.
Boundary: Peterborough City Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44004952, reference CA18, 55.9 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.