Local Planning authority requirements for heat pumps - information sought.

Government Schemes, Regulations, Planning & Organisations

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JamesPa

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Topic starter 03/07/2024 8:40 pm

I am trying to collate some information of the spread of requirements for noise levels from heat pumps which planning authorities in the UK impose, when planning permission is sought. The principal motivation is that mine has finally published its requirements, and they are quite extreme, so I would like some evidence to compare. However some assembled data might prove more generally useful to others.

To kick the table off, here are the requirements for permitted development, and the requirements imposed by East Hertfordshire (the figures being the maximum sound pressure from the heat pump alone at the most affected assessment point)

Permitted development: 37dB(A) (figure included for comparison)

East Hertfordshire: Town Centres and 'most' locations within 500m of a main road: 29dB(A), Rural areas - 19dB(A) (the actual figures they publish are 6dB higher than this, but they insist on applying a 6dB penalty for tonality/intermittency on top of the calculation)

If anyone is willing to contribute figures for other local planning authorities I would be grateful, you can PM me if you don't want to link your name to the locality. I will publish here a table of any figures I collect.

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Judith

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06/07/2024 9:18 am

Our planning application is submitted and noise may not be addressed because we ended up within MCS on everything except it can be seen from the road. But I’ll let you know. Our neighbours are supportive and think it ridiculous that planning is needed at all.

6kW PV south-facing roof 9.5kWh Givenergy battery. MVHR. Investigating ASHP

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Toodles

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06/07/2024 9:28 am

@judith How good are your artistic skills? Paint the case as a flower border filled with err… sunflowers or roses, a few bees (we need lots of those at the moment) or perhaps a parked snazzy looking EV appearing to be parked outside a mansion? 😉 Regards, Toodles.

Toodles, 76 years young and hoping to see 100 and make some ROI on my renewable energy investment!

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JamesPa

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Topic starter 06/07/2024 10:33 am

Posted by: @judith

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Our planning application is submitted and noise may not be addressed because we ended up within MCS on everything except it can be seen from the road. But I’ll let you know. Our neighbours are supportive and think it ridiculous that planning is needed at all.

Thanks.

Interestingly the Institute of Acoustics points out that locating an ASHP on the road side of a property will often make sense in terms of noise. With suitable visual treatment (which could be disguise or emphasis, depending on the context) I personally cant see the problem. Cars are normally left on front drives most of the time, they are much bigger, sometimes in lurid colours, yet nobody complains. Whats the problem with a piece of heating equipment provided it is sensibly sited?

Derek M reacted

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