Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Bexhill Town Centre conservation area
In the Bexhill Town Centre conservation area (Rother), 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 Rother covers this area but deals with other things (such as changes of use); it does not change the rules below. The area has 6 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. 1,571 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 57.0% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 69.1% heat with a gas boiler and 54.7% are rated D–G; 0 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
1,571homes with an energy certificate
57.0%solid walls, no insulation
69.1%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Rother covers this area but deals with other things (such as changes of use); it does not change the rules below. (Rother District Council (Houses in Multiple Occupation, Bexhill, East Sussex) Article 4 Direction, 2011)
What needs planning permission in Bexhill Town Centre
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: 6 in the area (grade I: 1, 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: 94% 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 = 1,571)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
895
57.0%
Cavity wall, unfilled
215
13.7%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
128
8.1%
Timber frame
85
5.4%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
78
5.0%
Other or not known
60
3.8%
Solid wall, internal insulation
46
2.9%
Solid wall, partly insulated
18
1.1%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
13
0.8%
Cavity wall, filled
10
0.6%
Solid wall, insulated
10
0.6%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
9
0.6%
Solid wall, external insulation
4
0.3%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
1,085
69.1%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
474
30.2%
Communal heating
11
0.7%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
1
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
204
13.0%
Under 200 mm
190
12.1%
200 mm or more
98
6.2%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
100
6.4%
Flat or other home above
930
59.2%
Other
49
3.1%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
1,433
91.2%
Single glazed
124
7.9%
Secondary glazing
12
0.8%
Triple glazed
2
0.1%
CDE
Energy rating: A 4 (0.3%) · B 122 (7.8%) · C 586 (37.3%) · D 560 (35.6%) · E 239 (15.2%) · F 50 (3.2%) · G 10 (0.6%). Houses and bungalows: 6% of the homes; solar panels on 0.1% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 1 January 1992.
Compared with Rother and England
Share of homes
Bexhill Town Centre
All 10 areas in Rother
England
Solid walls, no insulation
57.0%
49.5%
48.7%
Gas boiler
69.1%
72.2%
66.4%
Rated D–G
54.7%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 52% 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 Rother if in doubt.
Boundary: Rother District Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44010304, reference CA09, 27.5 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.