Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Newmarket conservation area
In the Newmarket conservation area (West Suffolk), 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 103 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. 977 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 42.3% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 76.5% heat with a gas boiler and 52.3% 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
977homes with an energy certificate
42.3%solid walls, no insulation
76.5%heated by a gas boiler
6heat pumps
Article 4: West Suffolk does not publish Article 4 areas on planning.data.gov.uk — check with the council.
What needs planning permission in Newmarket
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: 103 in the area (grade I: 0, II*: 4). 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: 54% 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 = 977)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
413
42.3%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
169
17.3%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
167
17.1%
Timber frame
55
5.6%
Solid wall, internal insulation
54
5.5%
Solid wall, insulated
42
4.3%
Cavity wall, unfilled
27
2.8%
Cavity wall, filled
20
2.0%
Other or not known
17
1.7%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
7
0.7%
Solid wall, partly insulated
3
0.3%
Solid wall, external insulation
2
0.2%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
1
0.1%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
747
76.5%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
163
16.7%
Oil
39
4.0%
Communal heating
21
2.1%
Heat pump
6
0.6%
LPG
1
0.1%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
85
8.7%
Under 200 mm
165
16.9%
200 mm or more
207
21.2%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
125
12.8%
Flat or other home above
293
30.0%
Other
102
10.4%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
816
83.5%
Single glazed
122
12.5%
Secondary glazing
38
3.9%
Triple glazed
1
0.1%
BCDE
Energy rating: B 144 (14.7%) · C 322 (33.0%) · D 290 (29.7%) · E 175 (17.9%) · F 37 (3.8%) · G 9 (0.9%). Houses and bungalows: 46% of the homes; solar panels on 0.4% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 20 July 1988.
Compared with West Suffolk and England
Share of homes
Newmarket
All 48 areas in West Suffolk
England
Solid walls, no insulation
42.3%
40.1%
48.7%
Gas boiler
76.5%
57.5%
66.4%
Rated D–G
52.3%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 56% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 29 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 Suffolk if in doubt.
Boundary: West Suffolk Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44006979, reference 8602, 187.1 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.