The Scottish Government opened a consultation on permitted development rights (PDR) on 3 September 2025 and closed it on 27 October 2025, asking whether planning rules could be relaxed to help address the housing emergency1. In its feedback, the government stated that it had decided against change at this time1.
PDR are a form of planning permission granted through legislation, meaning specified types of development can proceed without a planning application3. The consultation covered three broad options for rural homes: expanding existing PDR for converting agricultural and forestry buildings to residential use, new PDR for demolition and replacement of existing buildings with new homes in rural areas, and new PDR for erecting new homes more generally in certain rural areas1. It also sought views on PDR for town centre living, and on measures to support heat networks and domestic air source heat pumps1.
On heat, the consultation asked whether the PDR reference for domestic air source heat pumps should be revised to make clear that installation must comply with Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) 020 a), whether ASHPs installed under PDR should be permitted for heating and cooling but not solely cooling, and whether PDR should allow up to two ASHPs on a detached dwellinghouse1. It also asked whether more than one ASHP on flatted, terraced or semi-detached properties should continue to be assessed case by case, and whether PDR should cover installation, repair and maintenance of connections from individual buildings to heat networks1.
The government's summary of responses said:
"Many respondents were broadly supportive of making amendments to the existing PDR for domestic air source heat pumps, and introducing new PDR for the installation, repair and maintenance of connections to heat networks. However, other respondents were unsure about or opposed to such changes."
The same feedback reported limited support for, and significant opposition to, PDR for new-build homes in rural areas, and that the vast majority of respondents opposed PDR for town centre living, although some supported it1. The government's conclusion was:
"After carefully considering all of the responses received, we have decided not to make changes to permitted development rights at this time."
Existing limits on the rural conversion PDR remain as consulted on. Conversions of agricultural buildings fall under Class 18B and forestry buildings under Class 22A; the PDR apply only to buildings constructed before 5 November 2019, allow a cumulative maximum of five dwellings, cap individual units at 150 square metres, and are subject to prior notification and prior approval, with the planning authority given 28 days to decide2. The prior notification fee is £620, against a usual planning application fee of £714 per new dwellinghouse2.
| Item | Position as consulted on |
|---|---|
| Rural conversion PDR | Classes 18B and 22A, buildings predating 5 November 20192 |
| Unit cap | Five dwellings cumulative; 150 sqm per unit2 |
| Prior notification fee | £6202 |
| Planning application fee | £714 per new dwellinghouse2 |
| Domestic ASHP PDR | Class 6H; one ASHP per dwelling4 |
Why it matters for households
For a household considering an air source heat pump, the decision means the existing PDR position is unchanged. Class 6H permits the installation, alteration or replacement of an ASHP on a dwelling or within its curtilage, but no more than one ASHP is permitted on, or within the curtilage of, any building containing a dwelling4. No part of the ASHP, including housing, can protrude more than 1m from the surface of any external wall or roof, and the equipment cannot exceed 3m in height4. Within a conservation area the ASHP must also be at ground floor level and on the rear elevation, and the class does not apply in a World Heritage Site or within the curtilage of a listed building4. Any ASHP installed under the PDR must comply with the MCS Planning Standards or equivalent4. The size and location limits therefore continue to apply as before, and the wider permitted development rights framework for home energy equipment is unchanged.
For homes on or near a heat network, the consultation had raised the prospect of PDR for connections, which would have removed a planning step for joining a network. That option has not been taken forward at this time1. Households in rural areas looking at converting an agricultural or forestry building still work within the five-dwelling and 150 square metre limits and the prior approval process2.
What happens next
The consultation anticipated that a statutory instrument containing any changes would be laid in the Scottish Parliament in early 20261. The feedback states that no changes will be made to permitted development rights at this time1. No further timetable for PDR changes in these areas has been reported.
Sources4 cited
- [Permitted development rights to support provision of new homes
- Scottish Government consultations
- Citizen Space](https://consult.gov.scot/planning-architecture/potential-development-rights-new-homes-provision), consult.gov.scot
- 2 Permitted development rights for rural homes - Permitted development rights to support the provision of new homes: consultation - gov.scot, gov.scot
- Permitted development rights to support the provision of new homes: consultation - gov.scot, gov.scot
- Permitted development rights to support the provision of new homes Consultation, gov.scot