How many
| Council area | Listed-building records |
|---|---|
| Cheshire East | 2,681 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 2,542 |
| Warrington | 392 |
Each record is one list entry, which can be a house, a barn, a church, a bridge or a whole terrace, so the count is of entries rather than homes. The two rural Cheshire councils hold far more than Warrington.
What the rules say
Class G, the permitted development rule for air source heat pumps, does not apply where the house or block of flats is a listed building, and that includes buildings and land within its grounds. A unit in the farmyard of a listed farmhouse is caught as well as one on its wall. The route is a planning application to the council, and listed building consent where the work affects the building's special architectural or historic interest, which can include internal works such as new pipe runs and a cylinder cupboard.
Ground source heat pumps are covered by Class C, which applies within the grounds of a house. In a listed building's grounds, works can still need listed building consent where they affect its character, and the heat pump and pipework inside the building usually do, so treat a listed home as needing a conversation with the council whatever the technology.
Approaching a listed home
- Read the list entry: it describes what made the building special, which is what the council protects.
- Ask for a design that keeps the outdoor unit out of principal views and reuses existing openings for pipework where possible.
- Consider ground source where there is land: no external unit on or near the building.
- Talk to the council's conservation officer before applying.
- Apply for planning permission and listed building consent with the design, the unit's data sheet and the sound figures.
Why it matters in Cheshire
Many listed rural homes in Cheshire are among the 12,946 oil-heated households in the two councils. They are exactly the homes where a heat pump changes most and where the higher grant band applies until March 2027. The extra planning step takes time, so start it early if the grant window matters.
Barns, outbuildings and the farmyard
Many listed farmhouses come with listed or curtilage barns and outbuildings. An outbuilding can look like a convenient place for a heat pump or a plant room, but works to buildings within a listed building's grounds can need listed building consent too. Ask the council before choosing a location, and keep the outdoor unit out of the views the listing protects where you can.
Questions for the conservation officer
- Where on the building or plot would an outdoor unit be acceptable, if anywhere?
- Would ground source be preferred, and do any parts of the land have archaeological interest?
- Which internal changes, such as pipe routes, radiators and a cylinder cupboard, need consent?
- What information should the application include?
Allow extra time. A listed building application takes longer than a permitted development project, and if the higher grant band matters, the planning decision needs to come before the installer's grant application.
Records against households
Relative to households, the two Cheshire councils hold far more listed-building records than Warrington: about 16.4 per 1,000 households in Cheshire West and Chester and 15.3 in Cheshire East, against 4.3 in Warrington. The records are spread across towns and countryside, and the countryside is also where oil- and LPG-heated homes are most likely to be, so owners of older rural houses in either council should check the list before planning a heat pump.
The council's conservation officer can confirm whether a particular house, barn or outbuilding is listed.