1meter boundary planning question about heat pumps
Hi,
Have British Gas booked early December for a survey.
Current gas boiler/very large water cylinder/water softener all in a single brick 'cupboard room' outside kitchen/back of garage - a real little 'plant room' as it were.
The absolute no brainer place for a heat pump is... the outside accessible wall of this cupboard as it would require minimal plumbing, short pipe runs, already has electrics etc etc.
However, This would mean the left side of any heat pump would be about 80cm - 90cm from neighbour garage... which is under the 1m I believe is required.
Is this sort of thing only sorted by planning applications etc? I fear I know the answer already but wondered if I have somehow misunderstood the 1m rule? Does it matter its the brick side of their garage and not a 'room' of their house?
This rule has literally been scrapped this week, and takes effect early next year (I think), so you’ll be fine from that perspective. There will, however, still be noise assessments that need to be conducted. Others may be able to comment more.
Buy Bodge Buster – Homeowner Air Source Heat Pump Installation Guide: https://amzn.to/3NVndlU
From Zero to Heat Pump Hero: https://amzn.to/4bWkPFb
Subscribe and follow our Homeowners’ Q&A heat pump podcast
Posted by: @realevilHowever, This would mean the left side of any heat pump would be about 80cm - 90cm from neighbour garage... which is under the 1m I believe is required.
Correct
Posted by: @editorThis rule has literally been scrapped this week, and takes effect early next year (I think), so you’ll be fine from that perspective. There will, however, still be noise assessments that need to be conducted. Others may be able to comment more.
Whoa! The change has been announced this week but the rule is still in place until the law changes (which it is said will be next year but as yet no date) and thus applies to any installation which occurs before it changes.
Posted by: @realevilIs this sort of thing only sorted by planning applications etc?
Yes. However it might be simpler to wait until the law changes.
All that said planning permission for minor things like this only matters in practice if someone complains. If that's highly unlikely then you could proceed at risk (this is not advice!). After 10 years a breach of planning permission cannot be enforced.
If someone does complain (usually about noise) then the easiest course of action for the local authority is to use planning law to deal with the complaint. Whilst noise nuisance is an offence under environmental health law, its much more onerous to prove, whereas absence of planning consent is easy to prove. This is therefore what they would almost certainly do. In principle they could require you to remove it, but of course by the time they did the law might have changed. I think you would still be required to remove it but could then (I think) reinstall under the new rules. Whether the LPA would bother in this circumstance is a moot point. I would guess many wouldn't.
4kW peak of solar PV since 2011; EV and a 1930s house which has been partially renovated to improve its efficiency. 7kW Vaillant heat pump.
@jamespa Does the planning rule actually apply to the installation physically - or to such a device actually running? Thoughtfully, Toodles.
Toodles, he heats his home with cold draughts and cooks his food with magnets.
Posted by: @toodles@jamespa Does the planning rule actually apply to the installation physically - or to such a device actually running? Thoughtfully, Toodles.
Its a good thought however - my interpretation is:
- The physical installation falls within the legal definition of 'development' (and thus requires permission)
- The PD rules speak of 'Installation of air source heat pumps' and therefore apply to the physical installation
- Furthermore (as a further indication that 'installation' and 'use' have different meanings in the legislation, there is a condition that the ASHP is 'used solely for heating'. This is the condition that is frequently misrepresented as excluding ASHPs capable of cooling, which it doesn't, it merely says that they must not be used for cooling
In conclusion I think its clear that the rule applies to the physical installation.
That said, if its not running there can be no cause for a noise complaint, and its very unlikely indeed that the LPA would take action against a minor breach of planning conditions alone (as opposed to one associated with a noise complaint) where the rules were about to change such that the breach would not be a breach if the installation had occurred a few months later!
4kW peak of solar PV since 2011; EV and a 1930s house which has been partially renovated to improve its efficiency. 7kW Vaillant heat pump.
@jamespa Hence my thought; after all, if there were a complaint about noise, then turning the pump off until legislation is updated suggests to me that only a very minor breach of regulations would have occurred.😉 Toodles.
Toodles, he heats his home with cold draughts and cooks his food with magnets.
Posted by: @toodles@jamespa Hence my thought; after all, if there were a complaint about noise, then turning the pump off until legislation is updated suggests to me that only a very minor breach of regulations would have occurred.😉 Toodles.
Planning officers tend to be black and white in their approach in my experience so minor or not it's a breach.
In practice it almost certainly hangs on whether there is a complaint or not
4kW peak of solar PV since 2011; EV and a 1930s house which has been partially renovated to improve its efficiency. 7kW Vaillant heat pump.
- 22 Forums
- 2,073 Topics
- 45.5 K Posts
- 72 Online
- 3,352 Members
Join Us!
Trusted Installers
Struggling to find a reliable heat pump installer? A poor installation can lead to inefficiencies and high running costs. We now connect homeowners with top-rated installers who deliver quality work and excellent service.
✅ Verified, trusted & experienced installers
✅ Nationwide coverage expanding
✅ Special offers available
Latest Posts
-
RE: Commencing on an ASHP Installation Process
I think therein lies the problem. Ratio of quotes to i...
By JamesPa , 15 hours ago
-
RE: Why Your MCS-Certified Installer Might Not Be As Competent As You Think
Hive and most other smart thermostats don't play well w...
By JamesPa , 18 hours ago
-
RE: Enabling WiFi: Samsung ASHP on Smart Things App
Thanks for the input. I've been running various experim...
By Grahamh-uk , 18 hours ago
-
RE: Radiators downstairs are cooler at the bottom after ASHP install
@melonbuffet Hi, this sounds great is you are getting 5...
By ASHP-BOBBA , 20 hours ago
-
RE: 5 Star Service from Havenwise
... a mode of operation which increases losses due to p...
By Transparent , 21 hours ago
-
RE: Ripped Off: How UK Homeowners Are Paying Gas Prices for Wind Energy
I believe there's another reason that network upgrades ...
By Transparent , 2 days ago
-
RE: What’s the modern take on advised types of insulation?
@jeff I am sorry @jeff if I have misunderstood what you...
By Toodles , 2 days ago
-
RE: Getting the best out of a heat pump - is Homely a possible answer?
@editor Cobbler’s Mantra that!
By Toodles , 2 days ago
-
RE: Renewables & Heat Pumps in the News
Australia Blue, the first wind farm in Western Victoria...
By Morgan , 3 days ago
-
RE: Flow rate discrepancy between ASHP and manifold
That's useful thanks, I hadn't seen that table before. ...
By AshRolls , 4 days ago
-
In principle I agree, @johnmo, but with provisos. The...
By Majordennisbloodnok , 4 days ago
-
RE: Heat pump installation and BUS Grant timings
@jamespa Thats how I understood it too. 🙂
By ASHP-BOBBA , 4 days ago
-
RE: Antifreeze top up for my heat pump - is this a rip off?
@sallyl That sounds about right if they are re-filling ...
By Brendon Uys , 4 days ago
-
I wouldn't be so sure about that. Heat pump designers ...
By JamesPa , 5 days ago
-
RE: Jokes and fun posts about heat pumps and renewables
@toodles they're a rowdy bunch!
By Mars , 5 days ago
-
RE: Home energy storage & battery register
@jamespa To a certain extent, by exporting to the grid ...
By Toodles , 6 days ago
-
RE: Forum updates, announcements & issues
@editor Fairy Nuff Mars, I doubt that my ramblings woul...
By Toodles , 7 days ago
-
RE: Confusion about heat pump sizing
We’ve published a deep dive into heat pump sizing, and ...
By Mars , 7 days ago
-
We’ve published a deep dive into heat pump sizing, and ...
By Mars , 7 days ago