Solar panels, heat pumps and insulation in Central Historic Core conservation area
In the Central Historic Core conservation area (York), 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 York covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), chimneys, flues and soil pipes, painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. The area has 1017 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. 5,081 homes inside the boundary have an energy certificate: 39.4% are solid-wall homes with no wall insulation, 51.8% heat with a gas boiler and 46.2% are rated D–G; 42 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
5,081homes with an energy certificate
39.4%solid walls, no insulation
51.8%heated by a gas boiler
42heat pumps
Article 4: An Article 4 direction published by York covers this area and removes permitted development rights for replacement windows and doors, and other alterations to the house, alterations to the roof (e.g. rooflights), chimneys, flues and soil pipes, painting the outside, so there these need planning permission too. (East Mount Road; HMO)
What needs planning permission in Central Historic Core
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: 1017 in the area (grade I: 64, II*: 148). 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: 73% 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 = 5,081)
Walls
Homes
Share
Solid wall (brick or stone), no insulation
2,002
39.4%
Cavity wall, insulated (as built or unspecified)
1,312
25.8%
Modern wall (U-value from the design)
757
14.9%
Cavity wall, filled
293
5.8%
Solid wall, insulated
178
3.5%
Timber frame
163
3.2%
Solid wall, internal insulation
118
2.3%
Other or not known
95
1.9%
Cavity wall, partly insulated
70
1.4%
Cavity wall, unfilled
69
1.4%
Cavity wall, internal or external insulation
15
0.3%
Solid wall, partly insulated
9
0.2%
Heating
Homes
Share
Gas boiler
2,631
51.8%
Electric (storage heaters, panels, boiler)
2,086
41.1%
Communal heating
302
5.9%
Heat pump
42
0.8%
LPG
19
0.4%
Oil
1
0.0%
Loft / roof insulation
Homes
Share
No insulation
476
9.4%
Under 200 mm
589
11.6%
200 mm or more
755
14.9%
Insulated (depth not recorded)
571
11.2%
Flat or other home above
2,400
47.2%
Other
290
5.7%
Windows
Homes
Share
Double glazed
3,824
75.3%
Single glazed
889
17.5%
Secondary glazing
360
7.1%
Triple glazed
7
0.1%
Other
1
0.0%
BCDE
Energy rating: A 2 (0.0%) · B 598 (11.8%) · C 2,136 (42.0%) · D 1,644 (32.4%) · E 597 (11.7%) · F 75 (1.5%) · G 29 (0.6%). Houses and bungalows: 27% of the homes; solar panels on 0.0% of the certificates. Most common build period on the certificates: before 1900. Designated: 1 January 1968.
Compared with York and England
Share of homes
Central Historic Core
All 35 areas in York
England
Solid walls, no insulation
39.4%
37.5%
48.7%
Gas boiler
51.8%
61.7%
66.4%
Rated D–G
46.2%
—
56.5%
Caveats
Certificates describe a home when it was assessed; 57% of these are from 2020 or later (latest 30 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 York if in doubt.
Boundary: City of York Council via planning.data.gov.uk (entity 44014447, reference DYO1700, 205.8 ha); the council's appraisal or map. Homes are placed by the coordinates of their UPRN (OS Open UPRN); addresses are not shown.