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Do I need planning permission for air conditioning in South Norfolk?

For most houses in South Norfolk a reversible air-to-air unit is permitted development if it's under 1.5 m³, meets 37 dB at the neighbour's window and isn't on a wall facing the road in a conservation area; flats are limited to one unit per building up to 0.6 m³ (Class G as amended 29 May 2025, checked 25 Sep 2026). South Norfolk has 67 conservation-area records on file (status on-record, snapshot 25 Sep 2026).

permitted if the conditions hold

Check your address

  1. ENG-01. Is the building a house, or a building that is wholly flats?
  2. ENG-02. What is the noise result at 1 m outside the neighbour's nearest habitable-room window?
  3. ENG-03. How many outdoor units will the building have once this one is installed?
  4. ENG-03. Is the house detached?

13 more unchecked conditions are listed below.

bar · South Norfolk · nights at or above 18°C · 2026 9.0 · ERA5 reanalysis · 2026-09-25
Hot nights for South Norfolk. household-weighted mean of linked districts. Grid ≈30 km, lower than street temperatures in cities.
MeasureNightsSource
2026 nights ≥ 18°C9.0ERA5, June–August
2025 nights ≥ 18°C5.5ERA5, June–August
1991–2020 average ≥ 18°C1.9ERA5, June–August
2026 nights ≥ 20°C1.0ERA5, June–August
2025 nights ≥ 20°C0.7ERA5, June–August
1991–2020 average ≥ 20°C0.1ERA5, June–August

https://files.planning.data.gov.uk/dataset/conservation-area.parquet · 2026-09-25 · n=4800 · 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-C06

ENG-01 · Class G, permitted development · checked 2026-09-25. The installation, alteration or replacement of a microgeneration air source heat pump—(a) on a dwellinghouse or a block of flats; or (b) within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse or a block of flats, including on a building within that curtilage. 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 England the noise method on this card is MCS 020 a) — Air Source Heat Pump Sound Calculation (For Permitted Development Installations), Issue 1.1. Threshold 37.0 dB(A). §3.2 Step 8, checked 2026-09-25: "If the calculated sound pressure level at all assessment positions is equal to or lower than 37.0 dB(A) then the heat pump will comply with the Permitted Development noise limit"

computed

Threshold from the decision contract. Not a measurement at a window.
MethodThreshold dB(A)Checked
mcs020a_1_137.02026-09-25

https://mcscertified.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MCS-020-a-Issue-1.1-Final.pdf · 2026-09-25 · n=4800 · 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

mcs020a_1_1 · §3.2 Step 8 · checked 2026-09-25. If the calculated sound pressure level at all assessment positions is equal to or lower than 37.0 dB(A) then the heat pump will comply with the Permitted Development noise limit 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?

£2,500 is the air-to-air amount in England and Wales when the household predicates are met. £2,500 for air-to-air heat pumps (AAHP) (in residential properties only) (p.6 summary table, checked 2026-09-25). The heating system and the property type are still to enter for this address.

not supplied

Grant engine for air-to-air, with household questions left unknown.
FieldValue
NationEngland
Eligiblenot supplied
Amount or rule£2,500 for air-to-air heat pumps (AAHP) (in residential properties only)

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-07/boiler_upgrade_scheme_guidance_for_installers_v5.1_20260630135616-20260701135531.pdf · 2026-09-25 · n=4800 · 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

BUS-amount · p.6 summary table · checked 2026-09-25. £2,500 for air-to-air heat pumps (AAHP) (in residential properties only) 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 South Norfolk?

1048 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
KLB ELECTRICAL LTD12786687NR15≈2.6 km
PREMIER RESPONSE LTD16814087NR15≈2.6 km
CHYROS DEVELOPMENTS LTD12481959NR15≈2.8 km
STRATTON GLASS & WINDOWS LIMITED02247885NR15≈2.8 km
NORFOLK BUILDING GROUP LTD14873688NR15≈2.8 km

Companies House snapshot in installers.csv · 2026-09-25 · n=4800 · 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 South Norfolk?

In South Norfolk last summer (2026) there were ≈9 nights that stayed above 18 °C — 5 times the 1991–2020 average of 1.9 (ERA5 reanalysis, grid ≈30 km, lower than street temperatures in cities). Figure is a household-weighted mean of 17 linked districts.

computed

Hot nights, household-weighted across linked postcode districts.
MeasureNightsSource
2026 nights ≥ 18°C9.0ERA5, June–August
2025 nights ≥ 18°C5.5ERA5, June–August
1991–2020 average ≥ 18°C1.9ERA5, June–August
2026 nights ≥ 20°C1.0ERA5, June–August
2025 nights ≥ 20°C0.7ERA5, June–August
1991–2020 average ≥ 20°C0.1ERA5, June–August

ERA5-ARCO district_heat.csv · 2026-09-25 · n=4800 · 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 South Norfolk?

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

computed

Named planning checks for South Norfolk.
CheckStatusRecords or sample shareHow to read it
Conservation areaon-record67records on file; the address is its own check
Article 4on-record20records on file; the address is its own check
Listed buildingon-record5641a count of records cannot clear your building
Tree zoneon-record9records on file; the address is its own check

https://files.planning.data.gov.uk/dataset/conservation-area.parquet · 2026-09-25 · n=4800 · snapshot counts; one address can differ · updated 2026-09-25 · version 1.0.0 · CSV of the values on this page · class PLN-C06

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 South Norfolk?

17 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
IP20ip20
IP21ip21
IP22ip22
IP23ip23
IP98ip98
NR1nr1
NR14nr14
NR15nr15
NR16nr16
NR18nr18
NR20nr20
NR34nr34

district_planning.csv · 2026-09-25 · n=4800 · 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. ENG-01. Is the building a house, or a building that is wholly flats?
  2. ENG-02. What is the noise result at 1 m outside the neighbour's nearest habitable-room window?
  3. ENG-03. How many outdoor units will the building have once this one is installed?
  4. ENG-03. Is the house detached?
  5. ENG-03-WIND. Is there a wind turbine on the same building or in the garden?
  6. ENG-03-WIND. Is there a stand-alone wind turbine in the garden?
  7. ENG-05. What is the outdoor unit volume in cubic metres, including the housing?
  8. ENG-08. Is the building a scheduled monument?
  9. ENG-09. Is the building listed? A postcode search cannot clear this.
  10. ENG-10. Is this exact address inside a conservation area?
  11. ENG-10. Is this exact address in a World Heritage Site?
  12. ENG-10. Does the wall the unit would sit on face a highway?
  13. ENG-10. Does the roof face a highway?
  14. ENG-10. Would the unit sit nearer the highway than the building does?
  15. ENG-12. Will the pump be used only for cooling, or for heating as well?
  16. ENG-A4. Is there an Article 4 direction on this address?
  17. ENG-A4. Does that direction name this permitted-development class?

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