Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Winchcombe conservation area
In the Winchcombe conservation area (Tewkesbury), 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 Tewkesbury covers part of this area (about 34% 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), painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 177 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. 424 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 68.4% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 86.3% heat with a gas boiler and 78.3% are rated D–G; 6 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
424homes with an energy certificate
68.4%solid walls, no insulation
86.3%heated by a gas boiler
6heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Tewkesbury covers part of this area (about 34% 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), painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. (Winchcombe Article 4 Direction)
What needs planning permission in Winchcombe
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: 177 in the area (grade I: 1, II*: 3). 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: 20% 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 = 424)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
290
68.4%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
33
7.8%
Cavity wall, filled
30
7.1%
Cavity wall, unfilled
21
5.0%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
13
3.1%
Solid wall, insulated
11
2.6%
Timber frame
11
2.6%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
6
1.4%
Other or not known
4
0.9%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
2
0.5%
Solid wall, partly insulated
2
0.5%
Solid wall, internal insulation
1
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
366
86.3%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
49
11.6%
Heat pump
6
1.4%
Communal heating
3
0.7%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
101
23.8%
Under 200 mm
87
20.5%
200 mm or more
90
21.2%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
105
24.8%
Flat or other home above
25
5.9%
Other
16
3.8%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
330
77.8%
Single glazed
54
12.7%
Secondary glazing
40
9.4%
CDE
Energy rating: A 1 (0.2%) · B 11 (2.6%) · C 80 (18.9%) · D 202 (47.6%) · E 102 (24.1%) · F 21 (5.0%) · G 7 (1.7%). Houses and bungalows: 80% of the homes; solar panels on 0.2% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 19 March 1971.
Compared with Tewkesbury and England
Share of homes
Winchcombe
All 14 areas in Tewkesbury
England
Solid walls, no insulation
68.4%
51.6%
48.7%
Gas boiler
86.3%
67.4%
66.4%
Rated D–G
78.3%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 55% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 30 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 Tewkesbury if in doubt.
Boundary: Tewkesbury Borough Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44005233, reference CA13, 68.5 ha). Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.