Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Russell Street and Castle Hill conservation area
In the Russell Street and Castle Hill conservation area (Reading), 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 52 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. 1,264 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 64.2% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 64.3% heat with a gas boiler and 54.4% are rated D–G; 17 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
1,264homes with an energy certificate
64.2%solid walls, no insulation
64.3%heated by a gas boiler
17heat pumps
Article 4: Reading does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Russell Street and Castle Hill
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: 52 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: 76% 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 = 1,264)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
811
64.2%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
158
12.5%
Cavity wall, unfilled
77
6.1%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
69
5.5%
Solid wall, internal insulation
61
4.8%
Cavity wall, filled
33
2.6%
Timber frame
24
1.9%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
17
1.3%
Solid wall, insulated
8
0.6%
Other or not known
3
0.2%
Solid wall, external insulation
2
0.2%
Solid wall, partly insulated
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
813
64.3%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
355
28.1%
Communal heating
78
6.2%
Heat pump
17
1.3%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
1
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
127
10.0%
Under 200 mm
230
18.2%
200 mm or more
142
11.2%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
103
8.1%
Flat or other home above
611
48.3%
Other
51
4.0%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
992
78.5%
Single glazed
237
18.8%
Secondary glazing
35
2.8%
CDE
Energy rating: A 2 (0.2%) · B 31 (2.5%) · C 544 (43.0%) · D 478 (37.8%) · E 188 (14.9%) · F 16 (1.3%) · G 5 (0.4%). Houses and bungalows: 24% of the homes; solar panels on 0.1% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 1 January 1972.
Compared with Reading and England
Share of homes
Russell Street and Castle Hill
All 15 areas in Reading
England
Solid walls, no insulation
64.2%
48.4%
48.7%
Gas boiler
64.3%
56.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
54.4%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 64% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 29 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 Reading if in doubt.
Boundary: Reading Borough Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44001206, reference 9523, 25.2 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.