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Do I need planning permission for air conditioning in East Ayrshire?

Probably yes for cooling: Scotland's permitted-development class for heat pumps (Class 6H) covers heating and hot water only, so an air-conditioning unit used for cooling is not covered by that class and a planning application may be needed; a heat pump used only for heating can be permitted if it meets the noise and siting rules (checked 25 Sep 2026). East Ayrshire has 25 conservation-area records on file (status on-record, snapshot 25 Sep 2026).

application may be needed

What to include in an application

  1. SCO-01. Is the building a house, or a building that is wholly flats?
  2. SCO-02. How many outdoor units will the building have once this one is installed?
  3. SCO-06. Is this exact address in a World Heritage Site?
  4. SCO-06. Is the building listed? A postcode search cannot clear this.

5 more unchecked conditions are listed below.

bar · East Ayrshire · nights at or above 18°C · 2026 0.9 · ERA5 reanalysis · 2026-09-25
Hot nights for East Ayrshire. household-weighted mean of linked districts. Grid ≈30 km, lower than street temperatures in cities.
MeasureNightsSource
2026 nights ≥ 18°C0.9ERA5, June–August
2025 nights ≥ 18°C0.0ERA5, June–August
1991–2020 average ≥ 18°C0.2ERA5, June–August
2026 nights ≥ 20°C0.0ERA5, June–August
2025 nights ≥ 20°C0.0ERA5, June–August
1991–2020 average ≥ 20°C0.0ERA5, June–August

https://inspire.hes.scot/AtomService/DATA/ca_scotland.zip · 2026-09-25 · n=4000 · ERA5 hn-era5arco-1 for nights; Class G or Class 6H for the planning sentence; census shares where a housing table is shown · updated 2026-09-25 · version 1.0.0 · CSV of the values on this page · class PLN-C09

SCO-01 · Class 6H(1) · checked 2026-09-25. The installation, alteration or replacement of an air source heat pump on a dwelling or within the curtilage of a dwelling. Source

Full engine wording and the measurement caveat

This cannot be fully checked from the data available — one or more conditions have no record. This means 'not checked', not 'permission not needed'; verify directly with your local planning authority.

What noise limit applies here?

In Scotland the noise method on this card is MCS 020 — MCS Planning Standards for Permitted Development Installations of Wind Turbines and Air Source Heat Pumps on Domestic Premises, Issue 1.3. Threshold 42.0 dB(A). Step 10, checked 2026-09-25: "Is the FINAL RESULT in STEP 9 equal to or lower than the permitted development noise limit of 42.0 dB(A)?"

computed

Threshold from the decision contract. Not a measurement at a window.
MethodThreshold dB(A)Checked
mcs020_legacy_scotland42.02026-09-25

https://www.midsussex.gov.uk/media/9082/mcs-020.pdf · 2026-09-25 · n=4000 · threshold copied from decision-contract.yaml; no local measurement · updated 2026-09-25 · version 1.0.0 · CSV of the values on this page · class unmatched

mcs020_legacy_scotland · Step 10 · checked 2026-09-25. Is the FINAL RESULT in STEP 9 equal to or lower than the permitted development noise limit of 42.0 dB(A)? Source

Full engine wording and the measurement caveat

not a measured level, proof of permitted development, or a guarantee against nuisance

Is the £2,500 air-to-air grant available here?

Home Energy Scotland does not fund an air-to-air unit that cools. We will not cover: … Air to air heat pumps. (eligible costs, air-to-water/ground/water-to-water heat pump section, checked 2026-09-25).

no

Grant engine for air-to-air, with household questions left unknown.
FieldValue
NationScotland
Eligibleno
Amount or ruleWe will not cover: … Air to air heat pumps.

https://www.homeenergyscotland.org/home-energy-scotland-grant-loan-terms-conditions · 2026-09-25 · n=4000 · evaluate_grant; property type not entered; technology air_to_air · updated 2026-09-25 · version 1.0.0 · CSV of the values on this page · class unmatched

HES-air-to-air · eligible costs, air-to-water/ground/water-to-water heat pump section · checked 2026-09-25. We will not cover: … Air to air heat pumps. Source

Full engine wording and the measurement caveat

not a measured level, proof of permitted development, or a guarantee against nuisance

Which registered offices are within 25 km of East Ayrshire?

481 registered offices in this Companies House catalogue sit within 25 km (centroid is the postcode-weighted mean of linked districts, haversine to the registered office). An MCS air-to-air certificate is not on file for 150573 of 150573 companies (last attempt 2026-09-25). An F-Gas number is not on file for 150573 companies.

computed

Nearest registered offices. Distance is from the centroid to the registered office, haversine, not drive time.
CompanyCompany numberOffice districtDistance
GRAHAM GAS SERVICES LIMITEDSC465382KA1≈4.4 km
INTEGRATED ACCESS SERVICES LTDSC782726KA1≈4.5 km
BARCLAY GAS SERVICES LTDSC678461KA1≈4.9 km
IAN HINDE PLUMBING & HEATING LTDSC682480KA1≈5.0 km
MILLIGAN ELECTRICAL LIMITEDSC170104KA1≈5.0 km

Companies House snapshot in installers.csv · 2026-09-25 · n=4000 · haversine ≤ 25 km from centroid to registered office; a missing MCS row is not a count of zero certificates · updated 2026-09-25 · version 1.0.0 · CSV of the values on this page · class unmatched

Full engine wording and the measurement caveat

not a measured level, proof of permitted development, or a guarantee against nuisance

How hot does it get around East Ayrshire?

In East Ayrshire last summer (2026) there were ≈0.9 nights that stayed above 18 °C — 6 times the 1991–2020 average of 0.2 (ERA5 reanalysis, grid ≈30 km, lower than street temperatures in cities). Figure is a household-weighted mean of 14 linked districts.

computed

Hot nights, household-weighted across linked postcode districts.
MeasureNightsSource
2026 nights ≥ 18°C0.9ERA5, June–August
2025 nights ≥ 18°C0.0ERA5, June–August
1991–2020 average ≥ 18°C0.2ERA5, June–August
2026 nights ≥ 20°C0.0ERA5, June–August
2025 nights ≥ 20°C0.0ERA5, June–August
1991–2020 average ≥ 20°C0.0ERA5, June–August

ERA5-ARCO district_heat.csv · 2026-09-25 · n=4000 · hn-era5arco-1 aggregated by household estimate · updated 2026-09-25 · version 1.0.0 · CSV of the values on this page · class DST-C05

Full engine wording and the measurement caveat

not a measured level, proof of permitted development, or a guarantee against nuisance

What planning records are on file for East Ayrshire?

East Ayrshire planning snapshot 2026-09-25. A count is records on file, and the address is still its own check.

computed

Named planning checks for East Ayrshire.
CheckStatusRecords or sample shareHow to read it
Conservation areaon-record25records on file; the address is its own check
Article 4dataset-absentpending_datano record in this snapshot
Listed buildingon-record1541a count of records cannot clear your building
Tree zonedataset-absentpending_datano record in this snapshot

https://inspire.hes.scot/AtomService/DATA/ca_scotland.zip · 2026-09-25 · n=4000 · snapshot counts; one address can differ · updated 2026-09-25 · version 1.0.0 · CSV of the values on this page · class PLN-C09

Full engine wording and the measurement caveat

not a measured level, proof of permitted development, or a guarantee against nuisance

Which postcode districts fall under East Ayrshire?

14 postcode districts are linked below. Each has its own sample share and census row.

computed

Districts linked by statistical code or by a decision-area point share.
DistrictPage
G77g77
G78g78
KA1ka1
KA11ka11
KA13ka13
KA16ka16
KA17ka17
KA18ka18
KA19ka19
KA2ka2
KA3ka3
KA4ka4

district_planning.csv · 2026-09-25 · n=4000 · link table, not a new statistic · updated 2026-09-25 · version 1.0.0 · CSV of the values on this page · class unmatched

Full engine wording and the measurement caveat

not a measured level, proof of permitted development, or a guarantee against nuisance

Every unchecked condition

  1. SCO-01. Is the building a house, or a building that is wholly flats?
  2. SCO-02. How many outdoor units will the building have once this one is installed?
  3. SCO-06. Is this exact address in a World Heritage Site?
  4. SCO-06. Is the building listed? A postcode search cannot clear this.
  5. SCO-07. Will the pump be used only for cooling, or for heating as well?
  6. SCO-08. What is the noise result at 1 m outside the neighbour's nearest habitable-room window?
  7. SCO-A4. Is there an Article 4 direction on this address?
  8. SCO-A4. Does that direction name this permitted-development class?
  9. SCO-01. Is the unit on the dwelling, or within the curtilage?

Better than a council page that only links to a form: the usual case is answered first, with the clause and the check date.

Report an error in these figures