Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Balfron Tower conservation area
In the Balfron Tower conservation area (Tower Hamlets), 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 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. 395 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 1.5% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 15.7% heat with a gas boiler and 14.9% 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
395homes with an energy certificate
1.5%solid walls, no insulation
15.7%heated by a gas boiler
0heat pumps
Article 4: Tower Hamlets publishes its Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk and none overlaps this area; a direction can still exist on paper, so check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Balfron Tower
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
No permission needed (permitted development)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: 3 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: 100% 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 = 395)
Walls
Homes
Share
Other or not known
188
47.6%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
105
26.6%
Cavity wall, filled
53
13.4%
Cavity wall, unfilled
21
5.3%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
11
2.8%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
10
2.5%
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
6
1.5%
Solid wall, partly insulated
1
0.3%
Heating
Homes
Share
Communal heating
333
84.3%
Gas boiler
62
15.7%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
12
3.0%
Under 200 mm
4
1.0%
200 mm or more
1
0.3%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
43
10.9%
Flat or other home above
275
69.6%
Other
60
15.2%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
360
91.1%
Single glazed
35
8.9%
BCD
Energy rating: B 134 (33.9%) · C 202 (51.1%) · D 52 (13.2%) · E 6 (1.5%) · F 1 (0.3%). Houses and bungalows: 0% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1950-1966.
Compared with Tower Hamlets and England
Share of homes
Balfron Tower
All 61 areas in Tower Hamlets
England
Solid walls, no insulation
1.5%
41.8%
48.7%
Gas boiler
15.7%
61.1%
66.4%
Rated D–G
14.9%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 72% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 25 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 Tower Hamlets if in doubt.
Boundary: London Borough of Tower Hamlets via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44003449, reference TH-49-BAT, 3.8 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.