Air source heat pumps (ASHPs)
Installing an ASHP on domestic premises may be permitted development with no need to apply to the council for planning permission.
There are, however, important limits and conditions to permitted development rights, which must be met to benefit from these rights. For information on permitted development rights, visit the interactive guidance on the Planning Portal website.
If you believe installing an ASHP would be lawful under the permitted development regulations, and you require written confirmation from the council that the work does not need planning permission, you are advised to submit an application for a lawful development certificate.
If your installation does not meet government requirements, you will need to apply for planning permission.
In any case, planning permission will be required where the ASHP does not meet the government's standards (MCS 020) or equivalent standards. MCS certification is proof that the installation has been designed, installed, and commissioned to the highest standard using an MCS certified installer.
If planning permission is required, you should provide the council with plans and drawings of the location, design, appearance and dimensions of the unit and any associated screens or enclosures, technical information on noise and vibration outputs (and any proposed mitigation) and on the efficiency of the unit. To protect amenity, ASHP units should be sited unobtrusively (ideally to the rear of a property/building) and away from neighbouring properties.
Further advice on ASHPs can be found via the:
- Lambeth Design Guide - Building Alterations, Extensions and Retrofit (PDF 2.7MB)
- Planning Portal - planning permissions for ASHPs
If your property is in a conservation area and/or is a statutory listed building, please also refer to the heat pumps advice on the Historic England website.