Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Smethwick High Street and Crocketts Lane conservation area
In the Smethwick High Street and Crocketts Lane conservation area (Sandwell), 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 Sandwell covers part of this area (about 1% of it) and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), chimneys, flues and soil pipes, painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 3 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. 309 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 37.9% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 65.0% heat with a gas boiler and 47.2% 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
309homes with an energy certificate
37.9%solid walls, no insulation
65.0%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Sandwell covers part of this area (about 1% of it) and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), chimneys, flues and soil pipes, painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. (High Street and Crocketts Lane)
What needs planning permission in Smethwick High Street and Crocketts Lane
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
Inside the Article 4 part of the area: planning permission needed; elsewhere: no permission needed (permitted development)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: 3 in the area. 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: 63% 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 = 309)
Walls
Homes
Share
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
144
46.6%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
117
37.9%
Cavity wall, filled
26
8.4%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
8
2.6%
Solid wall, internal insulation
5
1.6%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
2
0.6%
Cavity wall, unfilled
2
0.6%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
1
0.3%
Solid wall, external insulation
1
0.3%
Solid wall, insulated
1
0.3%
Solid wall, partly insulated
1
0.3%
Timber frame
1
0.3%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
201
65.0%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
107
34.6%
Communal heating
1
0.3%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
32
10.4%
Under 200 mm
25
8.1%
200 mm or more
46
14.9%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
18
5.8%
Flat or other home above
100
32.4%
Other
88
28.5%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
308
99.7%
Single glazed
1
0.3%
BCDE
Energy rating: B 52 (16.8%) · C 111 (35.9%) · D 109 (35.3%) · E 28 (9.1%) · F 6 (1.9%) · G 3 (1.0%). Houses and bungalows: 37% of the homes; solar panels on 0.3% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 31 July 2012.
Compared with Sandwell and England
Share of homes
Smethwick High Street and Crocketts Lane
All 9 areas in Sandwell
England
Solid walls, no insulation
37.9%
36.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
65.0%
54.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
47.2%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 29% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 31 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 Sandwell if in doubt.
Boundary: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44010213, reference CA06, 22.9 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.