Aira has welcomed the UK government’s decision to scrap the need for planning permission for heat pump installations in densely populated areas.
According to Aira, there are 25m boilers installed in households across the UK. The company said that previous planning permission restrictions were preventing people from moving to cleaner, greener and more affordable heating solutions.
Based on the Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, Aira noted that thousands of households in England and Wales were left waiting for up to six months to have their planning permission approved. Figures obtained by Aira revealed the average waiting time for planning permission is currently two months. Residents in boroughs such as Westminster, Walsall and Birmingham have reported heat pump installation delays for up to six months.
The FOI data also found that council planning departments in Newport have experienced up to a 600% increase in applications for heat pumps to be installed in their local authority area. Birmingham officials reported a 450% surge.
Daniel Sarefjord, Aira UK’s CEO, said: “Today, up to half of all gas boiler installations are distressed purchases – consumers buying a new boiler to replace an old one that has broken down. These people won’t wait two to six months for planning permission because you can’t live without heating and hot water for that long.
“This absurd policy affected up to 40% of our customers, that’s why we have campaigned for years to reform permitted development rights and make it easier for homeowners to replace their fossil fuelled gas or oil boiler with an eco-friendly heat pump.
“Residential heat pumps have come a very long way since permitted development rights were last reviewed. By removing outdated planning policy barriers, the government will help the industry to focus resources on installing more heat pumps, creating thousands of new roles within the green skills workforce across the country.”