By BelSoc committee member, Chris Langdon
Belsize Society co-hosts event with Kentish Town Retrofit
“Planning may not be the barrier you think it is,” said Bethany Cullen, Camden’s Head of Building Management. She was speaking at an event on Retrofit and Conservation, on April 10 at Kentish Town Library, co-organised by BelSoc with Retrofit Kentish Town.
It was the first time that Bethany and her three colleagues, from the Camden Climate Fund (CCF), Conservation, and Digital Planning teams, have made themselves available to outline recent policy changes to residents. It follows an internal Council programme to train staff on how to interpret new Government policies, advice from Historic England, and recent decisions by Planning Inspectors: all of which give more weight to the environmental benefits of retrofit.
The Council officers sought to explain to the audience that there are now apparently more “carrots” and a bit less “stick.” “There is an awful lot you can do without Planning Permission or under Permitted Development Rights,” Bethany said, “even where permission is required, the guidance has softened.”
The measures being rolled out to speed up decarbonisation include:
On planning rules, residents heard that measures that don’t affect the exterior of a property, such as insulating lofts, roofs, walls on the inside, as well as floors do not require Planning Permission; they are covered under Permitted Development rights.
As regards solar, residents in the Belsize Park and Hampstead Conservation Areas are due to be consulted this summer on whether domestic renewable energy projects, particularly solar panels, should no longer be covered by an “Article 4 Direction.” If this change is then approved by the Council, renewables won’t need Planning Permission. They would still have to meet the criteria applicable in other Conservation Areas where solar panels are allowed on front roofs and the sides of buildings, but not on front-facing walls.
The measures being rolled out to speed up decarbonisation include:
- Plan X – a new web-tool designed to make it easier to check if a project, including retrofit, needs Planning Permission. To find it, Google: “Camden” and “find out if you need planning permission.”
- Free written planning advice is available for applicants to the Camden Climate Fund (CCF).
- The CCF offers co-funding grants of 50%, up to £15,000, for domestic retrofit projects. It is open for expressions of interest until November 2025, or until this year’s funds are allocated. A new funding round is due in Spring 2026.
- The application process for heat pumps, solar panels, and loft insulation has been simplified. (NB: Heat pumps with cooling (air con) are not eligible.)
- Double glazing, external and internal wall insulation, draught-proofing and similar measures are considered for co-funding on a case-by-case basis. Applicants must show how much CO2 will be cut during the lifetime of the measure. As evidence, applicants should have either an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate,) or a Whole House/Home Retrofit Plan.
Full details on how to apply to the CCF are on Camden’s website:, as well as advice on whether planning permission is needed.
On the hot topic of air source heat pumps, Bethany tried to give reassurance that most installations don’t require planning permission.
However, the rule that a heat pump should be at least one metre from a property boundary still stands; the Government hasn’t abolished it yet. Regarding noise limits, the Camden team were unable to allay concerns when challenged during the Q&A.
External wall insulation still requires planning permission. According to Bethany, Camden has doubts about the quality of materials being used. This may change as the technologies improve, she accepted.
The Camden team gave a PowerPoint presentation with a lot more detail. They have promised to share it, so it can be posted on the Society’s new website, later in May.