Posted by: @parmstar

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With regards to noise, he has said he would put in writing that they would put in any retrospective planning application should an issue arise

That's a very kind offer... but it's not a just matter which comes under Planning Regulations (with one proviso, which I'll mention in a moment).

The rules concerning the installation of heat-pumps are primarily those within the Building Regulations. Don't look at the Building Act itself; it's the Approved Documents which provide the framework within which you must work.
Part L concerns Conservation of Fuel and Power
Part P covers electrical installation and safety
Part G includes sections on hot water safety

The Building Regulations are not optional or voluntary.

The Building Regulations are there to protect the home owner (you!) from practices that create risks and inefficiency.

The Building Regulations boil down to common sense. They're not onerous constraints to be imposed on the unwilling!

Your installer must in any case copy the LPA with documents declaring that the terms within the Building Regs have been complied with.
You then receive an acknowledgement from the Council. That Letter must be passed to the vendor's solicitor in the event of the house being sold in future.
Without that Council letter, you would be having to willfully conceal the 'alterations to a building' which form part of the declaration that gets sent to the prospective purchaser. You really don't want to agree to anything which leads you into that legal quagmire in years to come!

Planning: The installation and siting of an Air Source Heat Pump falls within Permitted Development Rights.
It would be an usual set of circumstances which require you to actually apply for planning permission.

Since your neighbour has already raised the matter of noise, it is extremely unlikely that planning consent would be forthcoming.
If your professional installer still went ahead with the modified installation in the current location, then you will inevitably face the threat of Enforcement Action.

The ASHP would need to be removed with a defined period of time (generally one month), and at your expense.
Failing that, the Council would take the matter to Court.

If this were me, I'd take a serious look at positioning the HP in the front of the house, which is where you don't want it(!).

However I have seen other ASHPs installed at the front of a property (end-ways on), and then 'disguised' by placing attractive vertical wooden slats in front & behind, which actually help guide air through the unit.

There is one other possible planning rule which arises in such circumstances. It's to do with 'building in front of the main face of a house', and is usually invoked to prevent someone adding a garage forward of a line of houses.
It's unlikely that such a rule would be applied to a HP, and I would expect a Planning Officer to either 'wave it through' or decide the matter under Delegated Authority (without referring it to the Planning Committee).

@transparent you are amazing, thank you for your help

I am considering placing at the front of the house here - this would be more than 1m away but there is a bedroom above.

would a 14kw be quite noisy or do you think this would be suitable?

One thing to note is that the installer bought a lady along who does EPCs , our house didn’t have one online before so not sure why one needed doing now. Any reason as to why this was done in the middle of a complaints procedure?

Posted by: @transparent

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It would be an usual set of circumstances which require you to actually apply for planning permission.

Unless you happen to have a listed building. That removes permitted development, so you have to do both Listed Building Consent and a Planning Application (and get it approved). 

Posted by: @parmstar

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@transparent you are amazing, thank you for your help

I am considering placing at the front of the house here - this would be more than 1m away but there is a bedroom above.

would a 14kw be quite noisy or do you think this would be suitable?

-- Attachment is not available --

 

@oswiu I’ve measured it and it should be 300mm from the wall and fits. The window may compromise the right side slightly but the left side (air intake) will be sufficient. The noise is my only real concern. Will raise with the installer also.

Here's a 'modified' version of the front of house picture.

I've turned the street lights on, filled the garden with mist and then installed the ASHP collector pipework minus the external enclosure and fan! 😉 

That orientation will provide lots of healthy air-flow.

@transparent excellent photoshop skills! Hmmm that may work - which way would you point the air outlet, surely it would have to face towards the left as the air intake sits on the right of the unit as you are looking at it, presuming the air outlet is facing you. if that makes any sense! if it was facing forward, like my pic then I was thinking of building somekind of slatted enclosure just for the front but worried I may just end up at square 1 again!

@transparent

I do believe that under permitted development the heat pump has to be sited at least 1 metre from the boundary fence. I don't think that is the case, so I assume that planning permission would therefore be required.

@derek-m that would be just over 1m, have been out with my mini Stanley measuring tape 😄

Posted by: @parmstar

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@oswiu I’ve measured it and it should be 300mm from the wall and fits. The window may compromise the right side slightly but the left side (air intake) will be sufficient. The noise is my only real concern. Will raise with the installer also.

I'd say your installer would do this but in this case I'm not so sure that they would. 

@oswiu well that throws a spanner in the works - in the new proposed position the sound survey fails! Oh gosh I’m back to square one again as i really don’t want to keep it in the current position its in.

Values used 3m from neighbours bedroom window, 67dB max sound output and no physical barrier in between.