A heat pump installation will be considered a permitted development for a dwelling, house or flat if the following conditions are met:

• There is only one heat pump.
• It does not sit more than 1m from the external wall.
• The heat pump is not in a conservation area unless the heat pump is at ground level on the rear of the dwelling.
• The heat pump is not installed on the front elevation.
• The heat pump is not installed at a World Heritage site or a listed building.
• Any part of the structure is not more than 3m in height.

For more information about non-domestic heat pumps (commercial) contact the duty planner officer at the property’s local council planning department. You can check a property’s local council using this online tool.

The local planning department should be consulted on whether or not a property requires planning permission for a heat pump to be installed. Listed building consent requirements should also be checked if the building is listed and you can find out more about this from Historic Environment Scotland on their website.

You can also check the permitted development rights for householders to see what can be built without submitting a planning application.