MCS has opened a consultation on changes to the MCS 020 Standard, the noise assessment referenced in permitted development rights for air source heat pumps, according to a government review of the barriers to adapting historic homes for energy efficiency published on 3 January 20241. The review states that the consultation is based on the recommendations of research commissioned by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) into heat pump noise emissions1. No date for the opening or closing of the consultation is given in the review, and the review does not set out the proposed changes to the standard1.
The MCS 020 Standard sits inside the permitted development rules that allow certain air source heat pump installations without a full planning application. The review records that at the Autumn Statement on 23 November 2023, the government announced it would consult on amending the existing permitted development right for air source heat pumps to remove the requirement that all parts of the development must be at least one metre from the property boundary1. The review does not say whether the MCS 020 consultation and the permitted development consultation are linked, or on what timetable either will run1.
"MCS have opened a consultation on changes to the MCS 020 Standard, which is the noise assessment referenced in permitted development rights, based on the recommendations of the research."
The same review sets out other planning changes affecting home energy measures. It states that DLUHC published a revised National Planning Policy Framework in December 2023, which for the first time includes a policy that local planning authorities should give significant weight to the need to support energy efficiency and low carbon heating improvements to existing buildings1. It also records that DLUHC introduced changes to solar permitted development rights in November 20231.
The review covers England only1. It reports that the UK has 5.9 million buildings (21%) built before 1919 and a further 4.3 million (15%) before 1944, with approximately 350,000 listed dwellings in England and an estimated 2.8 million homes in conservation areas1. It states that retrofit of these buildings can be more challenging and costly because of the specific skills and materials required and the additional permissions needed in some cases1.
Why it matters for households
The MCS 020 Standard is the noise calculation that determines whether a proposed air source heat pump meets the noise limit set in permitted development rights. For a householder, that calculation can decide whether an installation can proceed without a planning application, and where on a property the unit can go. Any change to the standard therefore affects the practical route to installing a heat pump without planning permission, particularly on smaller plots or in terraced housing where the one metre boundary separation rule is hardest to meet. The review does not state what the proposed changes are, so the effect on any individual property has not been reported1.
The review also notes that some historic buildings are exempt from having an Energy Performance Certificate where complying with certain minimum energy efficiency requirements would require installing recommendations that would unacceptably alter their character or appearance1. It reports that over half (54%) of owners and occupiers think it is difficult to find reliable guidance about how to retrofit listed homes1.
What happens next
The review records that the government announced on 23 November 2023 that it would consult on amending the air source heat pump permitted development right to remove the one metre boundary requirement1. It records that MCS has opened a consultation on changes to the MCS 020 Standard1. Neither consultation's closing date, nor the date on which any change would take effect, is given in the review1.