Does the Welsh Government have any plans to update the distance regulation for air source heat pumps to reflect such developments in England and Scotland?
The Welsh Government introduced extensive permitted development rights for microgeneration renewable energy schemes in 2012. This included provisions for the addition of air source heat pumps to domestic properties without the need for planning permission.
Currently, one air source heat pump can be installed when it is to be used solely for heating purposes provided that it complies with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) Planning Standards and subject to the following conditions:
- no more than one air source heat pump can be installed on (or within the curtilage of) a property
- the volume of the air source heat pump's outdoor compressor unit (including any housing) must not exceed one cubic metre
- no part of the air source heat pump can be installed within three metres of the boundary of the property
- if in the case of the installation of an air source heat pump, a standalone wind turbine is installed within the curtilage of the dwelling house
- the air source heat pump cannot be installed on a pitched roof
- if installed on a flat roof, the air source heat pump must not be sited within one metre of the external edge of that roof
- the air source heat pump cannot be installed on a wall or roof which fronts a highway.
Permitted development rights are kept under review and are amended when it can be demonstrated that changes would facilitate the Welsh Government’s decarbonisation policies and not introduce potentially unacceptable impacts on the environment, the amenity of adjacent houses / properties or surrounding uses.