Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in St James's conservation area
In the St James's 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. The area has 196 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. 619 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 47.7% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 28.1% heat with a gas boiler and 48.0% are rated D–G; 54 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
619homes with an energy certificate
47.7%solid walls, no insulation
28.1%heated by a gas boiler
54heat 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; Article 4 Direction Class E To C3 In Central Activities Zone)
What needs planning permission in St James'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
Planning permission needed (an Article 4 direction here removes this right)
Part 1 Class A, A.3(a)
Listed buildings: 196 in the area (grade I: 30, II*: 43). 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: 95% 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 = 619)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
295
47.7%
Other or not known
128
20.7%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
75
12.1%
Timber frame
45
7.3%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
26
4.2%
Solid wall, insulated
14
2.3%
Solid wall, internal insulation
11
1.8%
Solid wall, partly insulated
11
1.8%
Cavity wall, unfilled
7
1.1%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
6
1.0%
Cavity wall, filled
1
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Communal heating
232
37.5%
Gas boiler
174
28.1%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
151
24.4%
Heat pump
54
8.7%
LPG
8
1.3%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
46
7.4%
Under 200 mm
8
1.3%
200 mm or more
3
0.5%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
67
10.8%
Flat or other home above
445
71.9%
Other
50
8.1%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
322
52.0%
Secondary glazing
156
25.2%
Single glazed
133
21.5%
Triple glazed
8
1.3%
BCDE
Energy rating: B 78 (12.6%) · C 244 (39.4%) · D 190 (30.7%) · E 87 (14.1%) · F 17 (2.7%) · G 3 (0.5%). Houses and bungalows: 5% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 20 November 1990.
Compared with Westminster and England
Share of homes
St James's
All 56 areas in Westminster
England
Solid walls, no insulation
47.7%
66.4%
48.7%
Gas boiler
28.1%
59.2%
66.4%
Rated D–G
48.0%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 46% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 27 September 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 44002873, reference CONARA/1330, 38.7 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.