Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Devonport conservation area
In the Devonport conservation area (Plymouth), 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 26 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. 666 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 12.0% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 63.5% heat with a gas boiler and 15.2% are rated D–G; 26 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
666homes with an energy certificate
12.0%solid walls, no insulation
63.5%heated by a gas boiler
26heat pumps
Article 4: Plymouth 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 Devonport
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: 26 in the area (grade I: 3, II*: 0). 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: 70% 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 = 666)
Walls
Homes
Share
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
298
44.9%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
127
19.1%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
80
12.0%
Cavity wall, filled
61
9.2%
Other or not known
50
7.5%
Timber frame
18
2.7%
Cavity wall, unfilled
15
2.3%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
10
1.5%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
2
0.3%
Solid wall, internal insulation
2
0.3%
Solid wall, insulated
1
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
423
63.5%
Communal heating
136
20.4%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
81
12.2%
Heat pump
26
3.9%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
19
2.9%
Under 200 mm
34
5.1%
200 mm or more
75
11.3%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
69
10.4%
Flat or other home above
324
48.6%
Other
145
21.8%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
618
92.8%
Single glazed
38
5.7%
Secondary glazing
10
1.5%
BCD
Energy rating: A 11 (1.7%) · B 340 (51.1%) · C 214 (32.1%) · D 75 (11.3%) · E 22 (3.3%) · F 3 (0.5%) · G 1 (0.2%). Houses and bungalows: 30% of the homes; solar panels on 2.4% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 2007-2011. Designated: 19 October 2006.
Compared with Plymouth and England
Share of homes
Devonport
All 16 areas in Plymouth
England
Solid walls, no insulation
12.0%
44.9%
48.7%
Gas boiler
63.5%
69.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
15.2%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 54% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 30 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 Plymouth if in doubt.
Boundary: Plymouth City Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44012316, reference CON03, 23.8 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.