Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Aldridge Road Villas And Leamington Road Villas conservation area
In the Aldridge Road Villas And Leamington Road Villas conservation area (Westminster), 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 Westminster covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, so there these need planning permission too. 408 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 80.6% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 96.3% heat with a gas boiler and 48.8% are rated D–G; 1 has 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
408homes with an energy certificate
80.6%solid walls, no insulation
96.3%heated by a gas boiler
1heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by Westminster covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, so there these need planning permission too. (Article 4 Basement Development Permitted Rights Removed)
What needs planning permission in Aldridge Road Villas And Leamington Road Villas
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
Planning permission needed (an Article 4 direction here removes this right)
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: 93% 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 = 408)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
329
80.6%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
22
5.4%
Timber frame
18
4.4%
Solid wall, internal insulation
16
3.9%
Cavity wall, unfilled
11
2.7%
Other or not known
4
1.0%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
3
0.7%
Solid wall, insulated
2
0.5%
Solid wall, partly insulated
2
0.5%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
1
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
393
96.3%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
12
2.9%
Communal heating
2
0.5%
Heat pump
1
0.2%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
65
16.0%
Under 200 mm
16
3.9%
200 mm or more
5
1.2%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
34
8.4%
Flat or other home above
283
69.5%
Other
4
1.0%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
219
53.7%
Single glazed
185
45.3%
Secondary glazing
3
0.7%
Triple glazed
1
0.2%
CDE
Energy rating: B 7 (1.7%) · C 202 (49.5%) · D 157 (38.5%) · E 36 (8.8%) · F 6 (1.5%). Houses and bungalows: 7% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 19 September 1989.
Compared with Westminster and England
Share of homes
Aldridge Road Villas And Leamington Road Villas
All 56 areas in Westminster
England
Solid walls, no insulation
80.6%
66.4%
48.7%
Gas boiler
96.3%
59.2%
66.4%
Rated D–G
48.8%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 62% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 26 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 Westminster if in doubt.
Boundary: City of Westminster via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44002861, reference CONARA/1180, 4.5 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.