Today the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has launched the Green Deal. Under the scheme, households can use cheap loans to spend on energy-saving improvements, such as insulation and new boilers, with no upfront cost.
One of the best ways to retro-insulate a home is External Wall Insulation. However, such works may well require planning permission.
Conservation Area
If you are in a conservation area (or other Article 1(5) land) then cladding of your property is specifically excluded from permitted development rights. Therefore planning permission would be required. The specific restrictions relate to the cladding of any part of the exterior of the dwellinghouse with stone, artificial stone, pebble dash, render, timber, plastic or tiles.
Materially different
Also, if the materials used in any exterior work are not of a similar appearance to those used in the construction of the exterior of the dwellinghouse then planning permission will also be required.
This is a subjective test, but we know of many Local Authorities that try and stop UPVC window insulations on the grounds that they appear ‘materially different’. If Local Authorities are prepared to stop such windows, they may also be willing to stop external insulation if it changes the general appearance of the house.
Your options
If you are unsure of whether the works require planning permission or not, it may be necessary to apply for a Certificate of Lawfulness or Planning Permission.