Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Winchelsea conservation area
In the Winchelsea 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 99 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. 182 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 40.1% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 85.2% heat with a gas boiler and 89.0% 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
182homes with an energy certificate
40.1%solid walls, no insulation
85.2%heated by a gas boiler
0heat 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 (Battle Rural District) Direction, 1959; East Sussex (Fairlight, Pett and Icklesham) Direction, 1965; East Sussex (Winchelsea) Direction, 1970; Rother District Council (Winchelsea Conservation Area, Winchelsea, East Sussex) Article 4 Direction, 2007)
What needs planning permission in Winchelsea
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: 99 in the area (grade I: 6, II*: 6). 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: 12% 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 = 182)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
73
40.1%
Cavity wall, unfilled
39
21.4%
Cavity wall, filled
27
14.8%
Timber frame
24
13.2%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
8
4.4%
Solid wall, internal insulation
4
2.2%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
2
1.1%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
2
1.1%
Other or not known
2
1.1%
Solid wall, partly insulated
1
0.5%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
155
85.2%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
17
9.3%
LPG
6
3.3%
Oil
3
1.6%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
1
0.5%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
38
20.9%
Under 200 mm
69
37.9%
200 mm or more
37
20.3%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
25
13.7%
Flat or other home above
11
6.0%
Other
2
1.1%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
125
68.7%
Single glazed
30
16.5%
Secondary glazing
27
14.8%
CDEF
Energy rating: B 2 (1.1%) · C 18 (9.9%) · D 89 (48.9%) · E 54 (29.7%) · F 16 (8.8%) · G 3 (1.6%). Houses and bungalows: 88% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 1 September 1969.
Compared with Rother and England
Share of homes
Winchelsea
All 10 areas in Rother
England
Solid walls, no insulation
40.1%
49.5%
48.7%
Gas boiler
85.2%
72.2%
66.4%
Rated D–G
89.0%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 48% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 12 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 44010297, reference CA02, 105.3 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.