Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in St Frideswide's conservation area
In the St Frideswide's 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. 42 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 69% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 52% heat with a gas boiler and 69% 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
42homes with an energy certificate
69%solid walls, no insulation
52%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 St Frideswide's
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: none recorded inside the boundary; on a listed building, solar panels and heat pumps are not permitted development and need listed building consent.
Flats: 76% 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 = 42)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
29
69%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
8
19%
Solid wall, internal insulation
3
7%
Solid wall, insulated
1
2%
Timber frame
1
2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
22
52%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
20
48%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
12
29%
Under 200 mm
3
7%
200 mm or more
1
2%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
7
17%
Flat or other home above
18
43%
Other
1
2%
Windows
Homes
Share
Secondary glazing
22
52%
Double glazed
15
36%
Single glazed
5
12%
CDE
Energy rating: B 2 (5%) · C 11 (26%) · D 20 (48%) · E 9 (21%). Houses and bungalows: 24% of the homes; solar panels on 0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900.
Compared with Tower Hamlets and England
Share of homes
St Frideswide's
All 61 areas in Tower Hamlets
England
Solid walls, no insulation
69%
41.8%
48.7%
Gas boiler
52%
61.1%
66.4%
Rated D–G
69%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 69% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 22 March 2025). “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 44003446, reference TH-45-STF, 0.4 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.