Air Source Heat Pump - Planning permission required!

matt_drummer

I just received this email from Octopus. It's quite interesting. It would appear that the attitudes of local authorities vary wildly around the country. I can't believe that this is how our government intended this to work.



Hi Matthew,

My name is **** and I am a member of the heat pump sales team here at Octopus Energy.

My colleague informed me that you were going through the planning permission process and asked me if I could be of assistance.

She forwarded me the email exchange you had with the planning authority. I gave them a call yesterday and he said you had spoken to them about potentially building a wall in front of the currently proposed heat pump location. He said that he would run those calculations last night and would get back in touch with you today.

I realise it is frustrating to go through the process however each council is different. I have had customers whose noise assessment came out at 49 decibels and was granted planning permission with no requirements. Your council seems to be a lot stricter on what they are willing to allow.

Has the planning officer got back in touch with you regarding keeping the same heat pump location and building a wall in front of it and is this something you would be willing to entertain?

shinytop

matt_drummer said:

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?

Planning rules will have to change.  I know there has to be a limit but not as low as this.  A2W ASHPs are all quiet and make most of their noise in the winter, when everybody is indoors with windows shut.  It's a gentle hum, not a jet engine.  Their own fridge will drown out your ASHP never mind their TV, dog, kids, etc.  There is no right to silence.     

matt_drummer

shinytop said:

matt_drummer said:

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?

Planning rules will have to change.  I know there has to be a limit but not as low as this.  A2W ASHPs are all quiet and make most of their noise in the winter, when everybody is indoors with windows shut.  It's a gentle hum, not a jet engine.  Their own fridge will drown out your ASHP never mind their TV, dog, kids, etc.  There is no right to silence.     

I agree.

If you want clean air it comes at a price.

I think I'm done with it now.

Ipswich Borough Council will not budge, they say that they have to listen (ha ha ha) to their expert, they will refuse my planning application.

I have wasted quite a lot of time and money on this, it's pointless and I think I will withdraw my planning application on Monday.

I will lose all my money, the planning fee and the Octopus deposit, but I don't want to give Ipswich  Borough Council the satisfaction of refusing my application, they don't deserve it.

I am now going to focus my efforts on making their lives a misery, I'm going to complain about everything, the town is a disgrace.

Mstty

Local and national media time?

matt_drummer

Mstty said:

Local and national media time?

Maybe.

I asked the planning officer today, why take my money for a planning application for failing an MCS noise test when you are going to reject my application because I fail the MCS noise test.

I asked five times, the answer was the same, you need to go through the planning process.

It's not an answer, it's like a Jeremy Paxman interview!

The only objection is from a man whose whole career is about noise.

He was never going to support the planning application, his objection was guaranteed and Ipswich Borough Council value his expert opinion more than removing the fumes from burning 1,500 cubic metres of gas each year from Ipswich town centre.

This Daikin heat pump will be quieter than the alternative, it has one fan compared to two.

Never mind, I'm on a mission now, and I have plenty of time available, they're going to regret this, short sighted jobsworths!

matelodave

I bet they've got more stamina than you, although I do applaud your mission but they've had years and years to hone their skills at being awkward

(I couldn't use the words I really wanted as I would have been censured by the mods, but I guess you've got a good idea)

matt_drummer

matelodave said:

I bet they've got more stamina than you, although I do applaud your mission but they've had years and years to hone their skills at being awkward

(I couldn't use the words I really wanted as I would have been censured by the mods, but I guess you've got a good idea)

You haven't met me!

I'm quite formidable, I won't stop.

I'm passionate about this, we need to stop burning stuff if we can, I can  and I am ready to stop now.

The media is more powerful than me and Ipswich Borough Council.

Their stance is not right and not in the best interests of Ipswich and its residents.

The MP already admits that the air quality is poor and needs improving.

It's a good starting point, a little less noise is not a good reason to continue to breath in large amounts of noxious fumes year after year.

matt_drummer

Mstty said:

Local and national media time?

I think Anglia Television will be my first stop, see if they are interested in the story.

Mstty

matt_drummer said:

Mstty said:

Local and national media time?

I think Anglia Television will be my first stop, see if they are interested in the story.

That's a good shout👍

born_again

matt_drummer said:

I just received this email from Octopus. It's quite interesting. It would appear that the attitudes of local authorities vary wildly around the country. I can't believe that this is how our government intended this to work.

The problem is the Government have no real control of how these local councils work. Especially when they are not the same leaning as the main Gov.
You are in many cases dealing with groups who have their own agenda, to which they will do all in their power to ensure national policies are hindered at every turn. So their lord & masters can use the lack of progress as a big stick to say how badly the Gov has done in their intended national polices.