Air Source Heat Pump - Planning permission required!

Reed_Richards

My impression is that major housing developments are being waived through when clearly undesirable and opposed by local residents on the basis of an imperative to provide more housing in total.  This leaves Planning Officers with less to do so in order to keep their jobs they focus on minor changes and attempt to make mountains out of molehills.

matt_drummer

This is now what I don't get.

I had to apply for planning permission because I failed an MCS noise test (by the smallest amount possibe)

The council are going to oppose my planning application because I failed the MCS noise test.

So I have spent hours drawing plans and paid for the planning application with no hope of success.

I can only see that they have taken my time and money under false pretences.

They should just say that if you want an air source heat pump and you don't meet the MCS noise test do not apply for planning permission, you can't have it.

But they don't say this, they say if you fail the MCS noise test you need to apply for planning permission.

It's tantamount to fraud?

born_again

matt_drummer said:

Today's update!

I have received a letter from the Environmental Protection Team at Ipswich Borough Council.

They want me to reposition the heat pump against my neighbours garage wall, run pipes and cables underground and build a 2 meter high screen from either bricks or timber of at least 20mm thickness across part of our garden to screen the heat pump from our neighbours view.

Their view is that even though my neighbour supports the application, the heat pump will be too noisy for them to live with.

If I don't agree to their proposition by 27 April 2023 they will oppose my planning application.

In another helpful move, the planning officer dealing with my case is on annual leave until 01 May 2023.

Brilliant!

Get your MP involved...

matt_drummer

Sent to my MP




Dear Mr Hunt,

I am very concerned about our environment and  the amount of fossils fuels we burn.

I have lived in Ipswich since 2007.

We moved to another house in Ipswich in September 2021.

The house had some solar panels fitted by the previous owner and I have recently added to the system and installed battery storage.

Like many I have been concerned about rising energy costs.

I worked out that I could make our house entirely self sufficient by adding more solar panels, battery storage and an air source heat pump.

I will be saving Ipswich from 20,000 Kwh of energy consumption each year, a good thing I am sure you will agree.

Octopus Energy have quoted me for a heat pump.

I love Octopus Energy, I think they are a great company and a good example of what is possible for our energy market.

I wanted to be part of their journey with heat pumps and them with mine.

Unfortunately, the heat pump they supply means that I fail an MCS noise test by a small margin of half a decibel (they round it up to one decibel).

I have no doubts that the Daikin heat pump they supply is any noisier than any other equivalent heat pump, but the figures are what they are and that is what we have to use.

I have been told that I have to apply for planning permission as the heat pump is not compliant with the permitted development rules as it fails (marginally) the MCS noise test.

No guidance is available from Ipswich Borough Council either verbally or on their website, you are just directed to make an application, a full planning application akin to have a two storey extension.

I have had to pay the planning fee and draw up detailed plans at great cost.

Today, I have been told that the Environmental Protection team will object to my application, their grounds being that I failed the MCS noise test.

My first problem is, why was I encouraged to apply to Ipswich Borough Council for planning permission as I have failed an MCS noise test (by the smallest possible margin) if they are going to object to my application on the same grounds?

Surely they should just say, if you fail the MCS noise test please do not apply for planning permission as it will be rejected.

My neighbours have no objection to the heat pump, in fact they fully support it, and it is not visible from the road, I don't see a problem with it.

My second issue is, if it is government policy to move away from burning fossil fuels and ultimately every house will have a heat pump, why cant I have one now?

The official from the council told me today that they would object to the installation of heat pumps at the majority of houses in Ipswich on the basis of noise.

How does that fit in with government policy?

I would appreciate your comments and any guidance or assistance you can give me

matt_drummer

This is from Mr Hunt's website, a page titled `A Greener Ipswich'

`I will address Ipswich’s poor air quality. The air quality in Ipswich is not as good as it should be so I will promote initiatives that will reduce air pollution'


We'll see how much he means it.

Reed_Richards

matt_drummer said:

It's tantamount to fraud?

It's just possible that you are the first applicant for ASHP planning permission that your council has encountered.  Therefore they had no position on the matter until you came along and caused them to decide that they would oppose any application that fell outside the noise requirement for a permitted development.   

Qyburn

matt_drummer said:.

40dB is quoted as the noise in a quiet library, 35dB is pretty quiet, I live half a mile from the centre of Ipswich, it's a fantasy that it would ever be 40dB here let alone 35dB.

I can easily believe what you say. As it happens we live in a really quiet area which is why <35dB can be clearly audible. I can see that wouldn't necessarily be the case in a town centre. 

But skimming through your thread they're looking for 42dB not 35dB.

matt_drummer

Qyburn said:

 

But skimming through your thread they're looking for 42dB not 35dB.

That is true, but if you read the letter from the council they would actually like to see 35dB at my neighbours window. They don't like 42dB and for that reason they find 43dB totally unacceptable.

matt_drummer

Reed_Richards said:

It's just possible that you are the first applicant for ASHP planning permission that your council has encountered.  Therefore they had no position on the matter until you came along and caused them to decide that they would oppose any application that fell outside the noise requirement for a permitted development.   

No, it's not the first according to the officer I spoke to yesterday, they have refused them before.

matt_drummer

Qyburn said:

matt_drummer said:.

40dB is quoted as the noise in a quiet library, 35dB is pretty quiet, I live half a mile from the centre of Ipswich, it's a fantasy that it would ever be 40dB here let alone 35dB.

I can easily believe what you say. As it happens we live in a really quiet area which is why <35dB can be clearly audible. I can see that wouldn't necessarily be the case in a town centre. 

But skimming through your thread they're looking for 42dB not 35dB.

I think we all know that heat pumps will make a noise, I am not disputing that.

I am not even disputing that some people will find the noise intrusive.

But we are living in a time when we need to stop burning fossil fuels. The government want to install 600,000 heat pumps a year.

Where are they going to put them all?

Most houses have neighbours that are close, certainly close enough to hear a heat pump.

This is the alternative to burning gas and oil that is efficient enough to work.

It makes a bit of noise when it's working and they tend to be working when it is cold.

In the spring, summer and autumn when the weather is warmer, the noise will be minimal.


Assuming that this is rejected, I won't be having a Daikin heat pump. My alternative will be an enormous twin fan Vaillant heat pump. I can't see it being quieter in practice, two fans have got to be worse than one?