Do heat pumps need planning permission?

Checked November 2026

Usually not. In England most air source heat pumps on a house count as permitted development, so you don’t need to apply for planning permission. The main exceptions are listed buildings, some positions in conservation areas, more than one unit on a house that isn’t detached, and units that fail the MCS 020(a) noise check.

The rules changed on 29 May 2025, and plenty of websites haven’t caught up. This guide goes through the current rules as written in the law, then what that means in Leamington Spa, Hinckley and Coventry. It covers England only. Wales and Scotland have their own rules. Wales last changed its heat pump rules on 1 June 2026, under its own Welsh order, so don’t go by this guide if you live there.

What are the permitted development rules for heat pumps?

Permitted development means work you can do without applying to the council, as long as you stay inside set limits. For air source heat pumps on houses, the limits are in Class G of Part 14 of the planning rules (the General Permitted Development Order 2015). Here’s what Class G says today, in plain English.

How many units. One heat pump on a house that isn’t detached, or on a block of flats. Up to two on a detached house.

How big. The outdoor unit, including any housing round it, can’t be more than 1.5 cubic metres on a house. On a block of flats the limit is 0.6 cubic metres.

Where it can’t go.

• Not on a pitched roof.
• Not on a flat roof within 1 metre of the roof’s outside edge.
• Not on a wall that faces a road above ground floor level.
• Not on a listed building or within its grounds.
• Not on a scheduled monument.
• Not where there’s already a wind turbine on the house or in the garden.

Conditions you have to meet.

• It has to meet the MCS Planning Standards. That now means passing the MCS 020(a) sound calculation.
• It can’t be used only for cooling.
• It should be placed, as far as practical, where it has the least effect on how the house looks and on the surrounding area.
• It has to be removed as soon as reasonably practical once it’s no longer needed.

If your plan meets all of that, you don’t need planning permission. If it doesn’t, you can still apply for planning permission in the normal way. Falling outside permitted development doesn’t mean the answer is no. It means the council decides.

We check all of this at the survey for every air source heat pump installation, before you sign anything.

The 1 metre rule has gone

Before 29 May 2025 a heat pump had to be at least 1 metre from your property boundary to count as permitted development. That ruled out a lot of terraced back yards and narrow side passages.

That rule was removed by the 2025 amendment (SI 2025/560). You’ll see some websites say the change only applies to detached houses. That’s wrong. The law applies it to all houses. Some council pages still mention the 1 metre limit too. Where they differ, we go by the law on legislation.gov.uk.

The same change did a few other things:

• It raised the size limit on houses from 0.6 to 1.5 cubic metres.
• It allowed two units on a detached house instead of one.
• It removed the “or equivalent standards” wording. Now it has to be the MCS standard. Nothing else counts.
• It added the rule that the unit can’t be used only for cooling.

Jobs that met the old rules could still go ahead under them until 28 May 2026. That window has now closed, so every new install goes by the current rules.

It doesn’t mean a unit can go anywhere. It still has to pass the noise check and be sited sensibly.

Can I have a heat pump in a conservation area?

You can still have a heat pump in a conservation area without planning permission. There are two extra limits on where it goes.

In a conservation area, or a World Heritage Site, a unit isn’t permitted development if it’s:

• On a wall or roof that faces a road.
• Closer to a road that borders the property than the nearest part of the house.

In practice that usually means the back or a side that doesn’t face a road. A rear garden or back yard is normally fine. The front of the house usually isn’t.

If the only workable spot is on the front, you’d need to apply for planning permission. Not sure if you’re in a conservation area? Check with your council before anything is booked.

Can I have a heat pump on a listed building?

If your home is listed, a heat pump on the building or anywhere in its grounds isn’t permitted development. You’d need to apply for planning permission.

You may also need listed building consent. The Planning Portal says that’s needed for any alteration that would affect the building’s character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. It also says “it is a criminal offence to carry out work which needs listed building consent without obtaining it beforehand.” So get the consents sorted before any work starts.

That doesn’t rule a heat pump out. It means the siting, the pipe runs and any changes inside need more thought, and the council’s conservation officer will usually have a view. Talk to them early.

If you’re in a listed Regency house in Leamington Spa, or any listed older home, our guide to heat pumps in older and period homes goes into more detail.

Do I need a lawful development certificate?

No, it isn’t compulsory. A lawful development certificate is a document from your council that confirms your project didn’t need planning permission. You apply to your local council, usually through the Planning Portal, and there’s a fee.

Most people with a straightforward install don’t get one. It can be useful if you’re in a conservation area and want certainty before you start, or if you’d like paperwork to show a buyer when you sell.

What noise check does a heat pump need?

To count as permitted development, a heat pump has to pass the MCS 020(a) sound calculation. That’s the “Air Source Heat Pump Sound Calculation (For Permitted Development Installations)” named in the law.

It’s worked out for the unit you’re having and where it’s going in relation to your neighbours. If it doesn’t pass, the install isn’t permitted development. You’d either move the unit, pick a quieter model, add screening, or apply for planning permission.

We’re not giving a decibel figure here on purpose. You’ll find different numbers quoted online, and we’d rather point you to the check itself than repeat a figure that might be wrong. What matters is that the calculation is done for your actual spot and your actual unit, before it goes in.

For how loud heat pumps are in real life and the best places to put one, see our guide to heat pump noise.

Local councils: Warwick, Hinckley and Bosworth, Coventry

Your council is the one to ask about conservation areas, listed buildings and planning applications. Here’s where to start for each of the areas we cover.

Warwick District Council (Leamington Spa, Warwick, Kenilworth, Whitnash). The council publishes guides to its urban conservation areas for Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth and Whitnash, with maps. See our page on heat pump installation in Leamington Spa for local installs.

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council (Hinckley, Burbage, Earl Shilton, Market Bosworth and villages). The council lists 27 conservation areas. In Hinckley itself these include Hinckley Town Centre, Hollycroft and Druid Street. Burbage, Barwell, Earl Shilton and Market Bosworth have their own, along with many of the villages. See our page on heat pump installation in Hinckley.

Coventry City Council. The council lists 19 conservation areas. They include Earlsdon, Kenilworth Road, Chapelfields, Spon End, Spon Street, Allesley Village, Stoke Green and Far Gosford Street. See our page on heat pump installation in Coventry.

Each council has conservation area maps on its website. Check your street against the map rather than going on the area name alone. Boundaries don’t always follow what you’d expect.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put a heat pump at the front of my house?

Outside a conservation area, yes, as long as it’s at ground floor level and passes the noise check. Inside a conservation area, not on a wall that faces a road. You’d need planning permission for that.

Can my heat pump go right up against the fence now?

The 1 metre rule has gone, so being close to the boundary no longer rules it out on its own. It still has to pass the MCS 020(a) noise check, and the closer it is to the neighbours, the more that check matters.

I live in a flat. Does this apply to me?

Class G covers blocks of flats too, with a limit of one unit and 0.6 cubic metres. If you don’t own the building outright, check your lease as well. That’s separate from planning.

Does an air to air heat pump need planning permission?

Class G covers air source heat pumps, including air to air, as long as it isn’t used only for cooling. A unit used purely as air conditioning doesn’t count as permitted development under this class.

Planning is only one part of it. Our guide on whether your home suits a heat pump covers insulation, radiators and space for a cylinder.

Not sure where a heat pump could go at your place? A home assessment looks at your home, the options and what’s needed next.

Sources

• legislation.gov.uk, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 14, Class G (as amended), checked 3 Nov 2026, www.legislation.gov.uk
• legislation.gov.uk, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development etc.) (England) (Amendment) Order 2025, SI 2025/560, in force 29 May 2025, checked 3 Nov 2026, www.legislation.gov.uk
• legislation.gov.uk, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2026, WSI 2026/79 (amends Class G air source heat pumps in Wales from 1 June 2026), checked 3 Nov 2026, www.legislation.gov.uk
• Planning Portal, “Listed buildings”, checked 3 Nov 2026, www.planningportal.co.uk
• Planning Portal, “Lawful development certificates”, checked 3 Nov 2026, www.planningportal.co.uk
• Warwick District Council, “Urban conservation areas”, checked 3 Nov 2026, www.warwickdc.gov.uk
• Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, “Conservation areas”, checked 3 Nov 2026, www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk
• Coventry City Council, “List of conservation areas”, checked 3 Nov 2026, www.coventry.gov.uk