Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Bermondsey Street conservation area
In the Bermondsey Street conservation area (Southwark), 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 Southwark covers this area, but the published data does not say which rights it removes — check the direction before any work. The area has 46 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. 1,582 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 37.6% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 58.9% heat with a gas boiler and 31.0% are rated D–G; 40 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
1,582homes with an energy certificate
37.6%solid walls, no insulation
58.9%heated by a gas boiler
40heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Southwark covers this area, but the published data does not say which rights it removes — check the direction before any work. (Central Activities Zone; London Bridge District Town Centre; Old Kent Road North District Town Centre; Other Room; Protected shopping frontage SF11: Snowfields and Weston Street; Protected shopping frontage SF15: Bermondsey Street)
What needs planning permission in Bermondsey Street
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: 46 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 2). 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 = 1,582)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
595
37.6%
Other or not known
377
23.8%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
262
16.6%
Solid wall, insulated
120
7.6%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
100
6.3%
Timber frame
58
3.7%
Solid wall, internal insulation
26
1.6%
Cavity wall, unfilled
19
1.2%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
16
1.0%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
4
0.3%
Cavity wall, filled
3
0.2%
Solid wall, external insulation
1
0.1%
Solid wall, partly insulated
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
932
58.9%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
438
27.7%
Communal heating
170
10.7%
Heat pump
40
2.5%
LPG
1
0.1%
Other
1
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
145
9.2%
Under 200 mm
36
2.3%
200 mm or more
18
1.1%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
250
15.8%
Flat or other home above
1,059
66.9%
Other
74
4.7%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
1,313
83.0%
Single glazed
224
14.2%
Secondary glazing
29
1.8%
Triple glazed
15
0.9%
Other
1
0.1%
BCD
Energy rating: B 301 (19.0%) · C 790 (49.9%) · D 391 (24.7%) · E 91 (5.8%) · F 5 (0.3%) · G 4 (0.3%). Houses and bungalows: 6% of the homes; solar panels on 0.1% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 3 January 1973.
Compared with Southwark and England
Share of homes
Bermondsey Street
All 56 areas in Southwark
England
Solid walls, no insulation
37.6%
56.7%
48.7%
Gas boiler
58.9%
71.3%
66.4%
Rated D–G
31.0%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 58% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 28 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 Southwark if in doubt.
Boundary: London Borough of Southwark via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44010255, reference 2, 19.3 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.