With the arrival of Summer, many people are looking to purchase and install an air conditioning unit into their homes or places of work. However, what you may not be aware of is that in some instances, it is required that planning permission is granted before air conditioning systems can be fitted.

In this blog, we are going to talk about when you do and don’t need to seek out planning permission when installing an air conditioner, what the specifications are, and how to go about securing planning permission.

When Does Your Air Conditioner Need Planning Permission?

Generally speaking, smaller air conditioning systems do not need planning permission, however, once an air conditioner surpasses certain specifications, it is required that you ask for approval before fitting a system to your home or workspace.

These specifications include if the air conditioner is bigger than 0.6m³, if the system is going to be positioned under a metre away from the properties boundaries, if it is going to be fitted under a metre away from the edge of a flat roof, or if the unit is going to be fitted onto a pitched roof.

Depending on where your house or office is based also makes a difference to the level of planning permission required if you want to insert an air conditioner. Properties that are positioned in conservation areas, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, National Parks, or World Heritage Sites, all require extra planning permission.

Applying For Planning Permission

If you find that the air conditioner you are wanting to install falls under the specifications previously mentioned in this blog, you may be wondering how to go about applying for planning permission.

This is actually not very difficult to find out, as all you need to do is contact your local authority and explain to them the details of the work you would like to do. Gaining planning permission can take between 8 to 13 weeks, so it is best to plan ahead. If you do not own the home or property you are wanted to fit an air conditioner to, you will also need to get the permission of the building manager.

Contact Air Conditioning Direct

If you would like to find out more information about the AC services we provide or would like some advice on air conditioners, please feel free to fill out our online contact form or call us on 020 8989 8989.