Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Stalybridge Town Centre conservation area
In the Stalybridge Town Centre conservation area (Tameside), 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. The area has 12 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. 723 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 25.4% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 17.8% heat with a gas boiler and 36.0% 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
723homes with an energy certificate
25.4%solid walls, no insulation
17.8%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: Tameside does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Stalybridge Town Centre
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: 12 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 1). 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: 92% 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 = 723)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
184
25.4%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
161
22.3%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
141
19.5%
Other or not known
62
8.6%
Solid wall, insulated
49
6.8%
Timber frame
38
5.3%
Cavity wall, unfilled
31
4.3%
Cavity wall, filled
27
3.7%
Solid wall, internal insulation
17
2.4%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
7
1.0%
Solid wall, partly insulated
5
0.7%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
447
61.8%
Communal heating
146
20.2%
Gas boiler
129
17.8%
LPG
1
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
66
9.1%
Under 200 mm
36
5.0%
200 mm or more
70
9.7%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
84
11.6%
Flat or other home above
402
55.6%
Other
65
9.0%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
705
97.5%
Single glazed
17
2.4%
Secondary glazing
1
0.1%
BCDE
Energy rating: B 144 (19.9%) · C 319 (44.1%) · D 161 (22.3%) · E 84 (11.6%) · F 9 (1.2%) · G 6 (0.8%). Houses and bungalows: 8% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900.
Compared with Tameside and England
Share of homes
Stalybridge Town Centre
All 18 areas in Tameside
England
Solid walls, no insulation
25.4%
29.1%
48.7%
Gas boiler
17.8%
47.8%
66.4%
Rated D–G
36.0%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 59% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 24 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 Tameside if in doubt.
Boundary: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44016913, reference 1027, 18.8 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.