Air conditioning in Bishop's Stortford
We install, service and repair air conditioning across Bishop's Stortford, from Windhill and Newtown to Thorley and the new homes at Stortford Fields. One local rule matters more than any other here: inside the conservation area, every outdoor unit needs planning permission. We explain why below.
- Article 4 direction on heat pumps
- 2017
- listed buildings in conservation area
- 71
- single room, from
- £1,850
- business wall unit, from, + VAT
- £1,795
East Hertfordshire in official figures
- households (2021 Census)
- 62,022
- live in a flat
- 20 in 100
- live in a house
- 80 in 100
- listed building entries
- 3,041
Of 62,022 households in the 2021 Census, 80 in 100 lived in a house (28 detached, 30 semi-detached, 22 terraced) and 20 in 100 in a flat. Most installs here are on houses, where a back or side wall is usually the simplest place for the outdoor unit.
In a conservation area an outdoor unit can't go on a wall or roof facing a road without planning permission, and an Article 4 direction can remove permitted development rights altogether. Check your postcode to see whether either applies to your street.
Figures for the whole East Hertfordshire council area. Sources: ONS Census 2021, table TS044 (accommodation type); Historic England's National Heritage List entries within the council boundary, through planning.data.gov.uk (one entry can cover several buildings). Checked October 2026.
A malting town on the Stort
The town takes its name from a ford on the Stort held by the bishops of London, and the remains of their Waytemore Castle are a scheduled monument. The council's conservation area appraisal says the Stort Navigation opened in 1769, and by 1800 the town was the country's largest supplier of brown malt to London's porter brewers.
The railway brought the hilly Newtown area to life in the mid 19th century, with its terraces and narrow streets. Large Victorian villas line Hadham Road, and the town centre keeps its tightly knit historic core around the Market Square.
Planning: the Article 4 direction on heat pumps
Bishop's Stortford is in East Herts, so applications go to East Herts Council. Across most of the district, a heat pump that also heats can be permitted development on a house if it meets the limits on size, position and noise. The town's conservation area is different.
In 2017 the council confirmed two Article 4 directions for the Bishop's Stortford conservation area. The one for all properties removes the permitted development right for air source heat pumps on houses and blocks of flats, and the council says it applies to the whole conservation area. So an air conditioning outdoor unit there needs a planning application, even on a back wall out of sight.
The second direction, for householders, covers works such as windows, doors, porches, painting and front walls on sides facing a road, a waterway or open space. Chimneys, flues and soil pipes are controlled on every side. We plan the pipe route and any boxing with that in mind.
How we handle an install in the conservation area
Check the address
We check whether your home is inside the conservation area and whether it's listed, using the council's map, before we quote.
Survey and siting
We find the least visible position for the outdoor unit, away from neighbours' windows, and plan a short, tidy pipe route.
Your application
We give you the unit's size, its noise data, photos and a marked-up position for your planning application to East Herts Council.
Install after permission
We book the install once permission is granted, and fit the unit exactly where the approved plans show.
Bishop's Stortford homes and what they mean for an install
| Type of home | Typical areas | What it means for the install |
|---|---|---|
| Victorian and Edwardian terraces | Newtown: Portland Road, Apton Road, Newtown Road | Conservation area with the Article 4 direction, so planning permission first. Rear walls or garden pads. |
| Large villas | Hadham Road and the streets near Bishop's Stortford College | Planning permission inside the conservation area. Plenty of room for a multi-split from one rear unit. |
| Listed and historic buildings | The Market Square, North Street, Windhill and Bridge Street | Planning permission and listed building consent. Units in rear yards or on lower roofs. |
| Suburbs outside the conservation area | Much of the town beyond the centre, such as Thorley | Usually permitted development if every limit is met. |
| New homes | Stortford Fields, St Michael's Hurst and Bishop's Stortford South | Check the planning permission and deeds for conditions on external equipment. |
New neighbourhoods
The council's 2018 District Plan set at least 2,529 homes at Bishop's Stortford North, and it has since approved 2,679 there. Stortford Fields is west of Hoggate's Wood and between Hoggate's Wood and Farnham Road. St Michael's Hurst is east of Farnham Road. The council expects building to continue until 2033.
The plan also allocated around 750 homes at Bishop's Stortford South, on land south of Whittington Way, and around 600 at the Goods Yard.
Businesses and parking
We fit and service systems in shops, offices, restaurants, clinics and salons in the town centre and on business sites such as those along Stansted Road. Shops in the conservation area need planning for the outdoor unit, so we start with the paperwork. Commercial installs are done in business hours, and we service, repair and regas most brands.
East Herts runs eight resident permit zones in the town, B1 to B8, covering streets such as Stansted Road, Dunmow Road, Windhill, Apton Road, Nursery Road, Barrells Down Road and Southmill Road. If you live in one, tell us when you book so we can plan where the van parks.
What air conditioning costs in Bishop's Stortford
Our starting prices are the same here as across Hertfordshire and London. Home prices include VAT; business prices are plus VAT. Planning fees are separate.
- from£1,850inc. VAT
A bedroom or study
2.5 kW wall unit, 5 m pipe, fitted in a day
- from£2,050inc. VAT
A living room
3.5 kW wall unit
- from£3,650inc. VAT
Two rooms, one outdoor unit
Multi-split
- from£5,100inc. VAT
Three rooms
Multi-split
- from£6,500inc. VAT
Four rooms
Multi-split
- from£250inc. VAT
Premium range upgrade
Quieter, more efficient unit
- from£1,795+ VAT
Commercial wall unit
Fitted in business hours
- from£119inc. VAT
An annual service
Keeps the manufacturer warranty valid
Areas, villages and postcodes we cover
We cover the whole town, CM23, and the villages around it in CM22 and beyond:
- Bishop's Stortford: the town centre, Windhill, Newtown, Hockerill, Thorley, Parsonage and Stortford Fields
- Thorley and Spellbrook, to the south
- Little Hadham and Much Hadham, SG10 and SG11, each with its own conservation areas
- Stansted Mountfitchet, over the border in Essex, where Uttlesford District Council handles planning
- Nearby: Sawbridgeworth, Buntingford and Ware
Bishop's Stortford questions
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning in Bishop's Stortford?
Inside the conservation area, yes. A 2017 Article 4 direction removes the permitted development right for air source heat pumps across the whole conservation area, so every outdoor unit needs an application to East Herts Council. Outside it, a heating-capable unit on a house is often permitted development if it meets the size, position and noise limits.
How do I know if my house is in the conservation area?
Check the council's online map, or give us your address and we'll check before we quote. The conservation area is large. It covers the town centre, Windhill, Hadham Road, Hockerill, the river and Newtown.
I live in a Newtown terrace. Can I still have air conditioning?
Yes, with planning permission. The outdoor unit usually goes on the back wall or a pad in the garden, with a short pipe run through the rear room. We give you the details for the application and book the install once it's approved.
Can you fit air conditioning in a new home at Stortford Fields?
Usually, yes. Most new homes there are outside the conservation area. Check your deeds and the estate's planning conditions for rules on external equipment, and we'll find a side or rear position.
How much does air conditioning cost in Bishop's Stortford?
A single bedroom starts from £1,850 including VAT, and two rooms on one outdoor unit from £3,650. Three rooms start from £5,100 and four from £6,500. Planning fees are separate. The survey gives you a fixed written price.
Do you repair and service systems for Bishop's Stortford businesses?
Yes. We service and repair most brands, whoever fitted them, keep F-Gas records where needed and offer maintenance contracts. For a repair, we confirm the cost of the visit when you book and price the work in writing first.