Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Boot and Shoe Quarter conservation area
In the Boot and Shoe Quarter conservation area (West Northamptonshire), 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 19 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. 3,659 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 68.5% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 74.0% heat with a gas boiler and 66.7% are rated D–G; 5 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
3,659homes with an energy certificate
68.5%solid walls, no insulation
74.0%heated by a gas boiler
5heat pumps
Article 4: West Northamptonshire does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Boot and Shoe Quarter
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: 19 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 2). 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: 43% 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 = 3,659)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
2,505
68.5%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
391
10.7%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
326
8.9%
Solid wall, internal insulation
164
4.5%
Solid wall, insulated
139
3.8%
Timber frame
43
1.2%
Solid wall, external insulation
30
0.8%
Cavity wall, unfilled
17
0.5%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
15
0.4%
Other or not known
15
0.4%
Cavity wall, filled
9
0.2%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
2
0.1%
Solid wall, partly insulated
2
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
2,709
74.0%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
885
24.2%
Communal heating
56
1.5%
Heat pump
5
0.1%
Solid fuel (wood, coal)
3
0.1%
LPG
1
0.0%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
653
17.8%
Under 200 mm
608
16.6%
200 mm or more
1,059
28.9%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
284
7.8%
Flat or other home above
839
22.9%
Other
216
5.9%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
3,512
96.0%
Single glazed
142
3.9%
Secondary glazing
5
0.1%
CDE
Energy rating: B 146 (4.0%) · C 1,072 (29.3%) · D 1,851 (50.6%) · E 528 (14.4%) · F 47 (1.3%) · G 15 (0.4%). Houses and bungalows: 57% of the homes; solar panels on 0.2% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: 1900-1929. Designated: 16 June 2011.
Compared with West Northamptonshire and England
Share of homes
Boot and Shoe Quarter
All 118 areas in West Northamptonshire
England
Solid walls, no insulation
68.5%
55.0%
48.7%
Gas boiler
74.0%
62.9%
66.4%
Rated D–G
66.7%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 59% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 28 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 West Northamptonshire if in doubt.
Boundary: West Northamptonshire Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44005237, reference 9998, 63.4 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.