Heat pump planning rules to be overhauled

[Temp]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/net-zero/heat-pump-planning-rules-overhaul-noise-pollution-fears/

 

Rules on installing heat pumps are to be overhauled to limit noise pollution, under government plans.

 

The Government aims to install 600,000 heat pumps a year from 2028, and offers households a grant of up to £7,500 to do so.

 

But local planning authorities “would not have capacity to cope with the increase in planning applications and noise complaints that would arise under current planning requirements” as the rollout expands to built up areas, according to a report from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. 

 

It found that one in four people living near a heat pump found the noise to be intrusive, with complaints “usually centred around disturbed sleep”. 

 

Last month the Telegraph revealed that millions of British homes could be unable to install a heat pump without breaking noise rules, as most available models were too loud to meet guidelines for noise disturbance. 

 

The report recommended removing the limit on the size of the heat pump unit to encourage manufacturers to prioritise noise reduction over aesthetics. 

 

It also urged regulators to provide clear guidance on what is meant by a “solid noise barrier” which must be in place between a heat pump and a neighbouring property, suggesting that hedges or “a fence with gaps” would not be sufficient. 

 

It also said installers needed to take into consideration “acoustic reflections from surrounding surfaces” such as walls that “can increase the resulting noise level at a neighbouring property”.

 

However the report also said sound emission limits “constrain” the heat pump roll out, “particularly where there is a higher density of properties such as blocks of flats and terraced houses”. 

 

It recommended removing a planning rule which states a heat pump must be at least one metre from a property boundary, a restriction experts have previously warned would restrict large numbers of terrace homes with less space from installing a device. 

 

Jeremy Hunt committed to scrapping the rule in November’s Autumn Statement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Andehh]

The telegraph is toxic these days, their anti-heat pump and anti-EV bias obsession is ridiculous!

[SteamyTea]

30 minutes ago, Andehh said:

The telegraph is toxic these days

Sadly true.

It used to be so good for the sports coverage.

[IanR]

8 hours ago, Temp said:

But local planning authorities “would not have capacity to cope with the increase in planning applications and noise complaints that would arise under current planning requirements” as the rollout expands to built up areas, according to a report from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. 

 

It found that one in four people living near a heat pump found the noise to be intrusive, with complaints “usually centred around disturbed sleep”. 

 

I guess this is the report the piece is referring to

 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6568b7b95936bb000d3167ef/ashp-planning-regulations-review-main-report.pdf

 

Although I couldn't find the "one in four people living near a heat pump found the noise to be intrusive" comment. But, I haven't read the whole report.

 

Contradicting that statement, within the Key Findings the report states:

 

Quote

3. The research found low incidence of ASHP noise complaints. These arose due to poor quality installations, including location and proximity factors

• The available evidence suggests that ASHP noise complaints appear to be relatively infrequent in relation to the total number of ASHP installations in the UK, where industry estimate there were around 71,000 sales in 2022.

• Location and proximity of ASHP units to neighbouring properties emerged as a key cause of noise complaints. According to installers and LPAs, complaints usually centred around disturbed sleep and installers reported they were typically resolved through moving or replacing the ASHP.

• Poor installation quality arose as a factor underlying noise complaints. Simple modifications like rubber matting or acoustic enclosures were found to reduce noise impacts, highlighting the importance of proper installation.

 

And goes on to conclude:

 

Quote

Public perceptions of ASHP noise

Although the sample size was small, the limited number of responses to the Strand 2 survey with households known to be in close proximity to an ASHP, found that only a small number of respondents could identify noise from an ASHP.

The review of noise complaints or objections also demonstrated that noise complaints were infrequent. However, where noise complaints were identified, it is apparent that they do impact people to varying degrees. For example, from being described as a noticeable noise in the soundscape, to affecting sleep patterns.

As identified in Strand 2, Objective 1, where objections were made to planning applications on the grounds of noise, these were not specific but instead simply expressed a perception that ASHPs are ‘noisy’. Therefore, greater education of the public on the noise produced by ASHPs may help minimise this perception as well as improving the current PDR assessment process.

 

There is a comment though regarding LPA's concern over noise complaints:

 

Quote

Perceptions from stakeholders on ASHPs

Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) and acoustic-focused Industry Bodies were particularly concerned about the larger scale roll out of ASHPs. They saw the environmental benefits of renewable technologies, but LPAs were concerned about having the resource to deal with the potential increase in both planning applications and complaints about noise from ASHPs installed under PDR. It was commonplace for the LPAs interviewed to have received at least one complaint about noise from ASHPs and these complaints were predominately about disturbed sleep.

 

 

[Beelbeebub]

Lifting the size restrictions would help with noise reduction. 

 

Getting rid of the boundary requirements is also sensible.

 

Maybe some sort of scheme where the noise aspects are waived if the unit has a pre-approved certification. That would involve testing the units in a set of scenarios  (including worst case situations with reflective surfaces) so it can be deemed to be acceptable in any installation.  If a HP only punts out 35db at full chat then it can't really be an unreasonable nuisance.

 

 

[JamesPa]

I read the whole report a couple of days before I saw the Telegraph article.  My instant reaction to the Telegraph headline was that it took a warped (or determined) mind to come up with the headline given the actual content of the report.  

[JamesPa]

1 minute ago, Beelbeebub said:

If a HP only punts out 35db at full chat then it can't really be an unreasonable nuisance.

I agree but...It could still be more than 25dB(A) at the neighbouring property, which is the standard my LPA expect me to meet.  If only gas and oil boilers were this quiet!

[Beelbeebub]

9 minutes ago, IanR said:

 

I guess this is the report the piece is referring to

 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6568b7b95936bb000d3167ef/ashp-planning-regulations-review-main-report.pdf

 

Although I couldn't find the "one in four people living near a heat pump found the noise to be intrusive" comment. But, I haven't read the whole report.

 

Contradicting that statement, within the Key Findings the report states:

 

 

And goes on to conclude:

 

 

There is a comment though regarding LPA's concern over noise complaints:

 

 

 

I think there is a public perception they are noisy. Maybe they are refering to objections to planning that cited noise concerns?  

 

Noise is almost always mentioned, along with they don't work when it's cold.

 

There are aspects of the "culture war' bleeding into this. 

 

A well know YT building channel is not keen on them and recently visited a terrible install that was making a racket.  It was down to a failed bearing due to poor installation and maintenance and was obviously not the normal noise. Yet he did a YT short "people tell me heat pumps arent noisy! Well listen to this!".

 

And underneathg5the fist comment was about HPs being for "the woke".

 

It's almost like the Trump supporters proudly tuning their trucks so the can be "rolling coal to own the libs"

[Beelbeebub]

3 minutes ago, JamesPa said:

I agree but...It could still be more than 25dB(A) at the neighbouring property, which is the standard my LPA expect me to meet.  If only gas and oil boilers were this quiet!

Exactly, unrealistic noise requirements are a defacto ban. 

 

Maybe you should set up a speaker and run it with white noise at the noise level the HP will generate and see is anyone complains.  Then when the planning objection is "it will be too noisy and disturb people" you can say "it hasn't yetx 😁

[Beelbeebub]

7 minutes ago, JamesPa said:

I read the whole report a couple of days before I saw the Telegraph article.  My instant reaction to the Telegraph headline was that it took a warped (or determined) mind to come up with the headline given the actual content of the report.  

I'm shocked the Telegraph would twist the facts to suit it's agenda

 

Shocked!

[sharpener]

1 hour ago, JamesPa said:

I agree but...It could still be more than 25dB(A) at the neighbouring property, which is the standard my LPA expect me to meet.  If only gas and oil boilers were this quiet!

 

WRT my own (successful) planning application it seems I have got away very lightly. The report says (p36)

 

On the whole, LPAs treated planning applications for ASHPs as they would for a general
industrial noise source and require a noise assessment in accordance with BS 4142 [11] or
similar. There was an inconsistency about which threshold (-5dB or -10dB below background)
from BS 4142 LPAs required.

 

If my LA had used this process I would have had to jump through the same hoops as @JamesPa, and I don't think it would have passed as the night-time background noise is v low (I would guess 30dBA or less).

 

Perhaps they didn't bother because the neighbours wrote a letter in support saying they approved because of low carbon emissions and were not concerned about possible noise. Or perhaps because they are notoriously undermanned, overworked and incompetent.

 

[As I write a van has been idling outside for several minutes, this is bad for both carbon emissions and noise. Occasionally I have gone out and turned off the engine in an unattended vehicle.]

[nod]

3 hours ago, Andehh said:

The telegraph is toxic these days, their anti-heat pump and anti-EV bias obsession is ridiculous!

I agree 

The HPs I’ve looked at seem very quiet 

 

[joe90]

2 hours ago, JamesPa said:

If only gas and oil boilers were this quiet!

Where I have moved too I have a neighbour who’s oil boiler (external) sounds like a jet engine firing up on and off all day. (it is a very quiet location).

[ReedRichards]

It really annoys me that heat pumps are singled out whilst noisy oil or gas boilers are unconstrained, except possibly by a complaint to Environmental Health.  What is really needed is a unified standard.

[Beelbeebub]

7 minutes ago, ReedRichards said:

It really annoys me that heat pumps are singled out whilst noisy oil or gas boilers are unconstrained, except possibly by a complaint to Environmental Health.  What is really needed is a unified standard.

We had a high pitched wail, loud enough to be clearly heard inside behind double glazing, from a nearby school boiler (actually the blending valve) for about 3 years.  It was loud enough to be annoying to people living 200m away.

 

Initially it was whenever the heating was on - so almost constantly over the depths of winter.  They progressively managed to reduce it until by the 3rd winter is was a "honk" when the system started up.  They seem to have finally sorted it as it's been quiet since.  But the fan exhaust is clearly audible outside when it's going full blast.