Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Rye conservation area
In the Rye 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 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 276 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. 560 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 52.0% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 73.8% heat with a gas boiler and 68.8% are rated D–G; 1 has 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
560homes with an energy certificate
52.0%solid walls, no insulation
73.8%heated by a gas boiler
1heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Rother covers this area 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. (East Sussex (Borough of Rye) Direction, 1951; Rother District Council (Rye Conservation Area, Rye, East Sussex) Article 4 Direction, 2007; Rother District Council (Rye Town, East Sussex) Article 4 (No. 1) Direction, 1991; Rother District Council (Rye Town, East Sussex) Article 4 (No. 2) Direction, 1991)
What needs planning permission in Rye
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
Planning permission needed (an Article 4 direction here removes this right)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: 276 in the area (grade I: 4, II*: 10). 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: 38% 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 = 560)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
291
52.0%
Timber frame
88
15.7%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
68
12.1%
Cavity wall, unfilled
35
6.2%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
23
4.1%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
17
3.0%
Cavity wall, filled
15
2.7%
Solid wall, internal insulation
13
2.3%
Other or not known
4
0.7%
Solid wall, insulated
4
0.7%
Solid wall, partly insulated
2
0.4%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
413
73.8%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
122
21.8%
Communal heating
22
3.9%
Heat pump
1
0.2%
Oil
1
0.2%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
1
0.2%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
134
23.9%
Under 200 mm
125
22.3%
200 mm or more
127
22.7%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
67
12.0%
Flat or other home above
87
15.5%
Other
20
3.6%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
336
60.0%
Single glazed
145
25.9%
Secondary glazing
78
13.9%
Triple glazed
1
0.2%
CDE
Energy rating: B 33 (5.9%) · C 142 (25.4%) · D 195 (34.8%) · E 143 (25.5%) · F 33 (5.9%) · G 14 (2.5%). Houses and bungalows: 62% of the homes; solar panels on 0.2% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 1 January 1968.
Compared with Rother and England
Share of homes
Rye
All 10 areas in Rother
England
Solid walls, no insulation
52.0%
49.5%
48.7%
Gas boiler
73.8%
72.2%
66.4%
Rated D–G
68.8%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 50% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 21 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 44010296, reference CA01, 28.0 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.