Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Alexandra Park Edgeley conservation area
In the Alexandra Park Edgeley conservation area (Stockport), 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 Stockport covers part of this area (about 30% 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. 290 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 58.3% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 97.9% heat with a gas boiler and 85.5% 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
290homes with an energy certificate
58.3%solid walls, no insulation
97.9%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Stockport covers part of this area (about 30% 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. (Alexandra Park)
What needs planning permission in Alexandra Park Edgeley
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: none recorded inside the boundary; on a listed building, solar panels and heat pumps are not permitted development and need listed building consent.
Flats: 11% 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 = 290)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
169
58.3%
Cavity wall, unfilled
89
30.7%
Cavity wall, filled
13
4.5%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
13
4.5%
Other or not known
3
1.0%
Solid wall, internal insulation
2
0.7%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
1
0.3%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
284
97.9%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
4
1.4%
Communal heating
2
0.7%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
59
20.3%
Under 200 mm
91
31.4%
200 mm or more
100
34.5%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
19
6.6%
Flat or other home above
21
7.2%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
276
95.2%
Single glazed
11
3.8%
Secondary glazing
2
0.7%
Triple glazed
1
0.3%
CDE
Energy rating: B 1 (0.3%) · C 41 (14.1%) · D 151 (52.1%) · E 81 (27.9%) · F 14 (4.8%) · G 2 (0.7%). Houses and bungalows: 89% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 1 January 2006.
Compared with Stockport and England
Share of homes
Alexandra Park Edgeley
All 37 areas in Stockport
England
Solid walls, no insulation
58.3%
30.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
97.9%
73.3%
66.4%
Rated D–G
85.5%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 42% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 7 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 Stockport if in doubt.
Boundary: Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44014595, reference 34, 23.3 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.