Air conditioning in Shenley
We install, service and repair air conditioning in Shenley, from the cottages around the Cage and the pond to the homes in Shenley Park. The conservation area takes in much of the village and part of the old hospital estate, so here's which homes it covers and where an outdoor unit can go.
- conservation area designated
- 1969
- Shenley postcode district
- WD7
- single room, from
- £1,850
- annual service, from
- £119
Hertsmere in official figures
- households (2021 Census)
- 42,682
- live in a flat
- 28 in 100
- live in a house
- 71 in 100
- listed building entries
- 321
Of 42,682 households in the 2021 Census, 71 in 100 lived in a house (19 detached, 32 semi-detached, 20 terraced) and 28 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 Hertsmere 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 hilltop village around a pond and a lock-up
Shenley sits on Shenley Ridge, about 130 m above sea level, north of Borehamwood and east of Radlett, with open fields and farmland all round. Hertsmere's 2012 appraisal traces it from a Domesday parish to a village on the old route from Watling Street towards St Albans, served by coaching inns such as the White Horse and the Black Lion. Its focal point is still the pond and the Cage, the round 18th-century lock-up on the pond's north bank, which is listed.
The village grew slowly until the railway reached Radlett in 1868. In 1928 Middlesex County Council bought the Porters Park estate and built Shenley Hospital there. When the hospital closed, most of its buildings were replaced with housing around Porters Park Drive, while the mansion, the chapel, Orchard Villa and the water tower survived. The Shenley Park Trust looks after the walled garden and its 45 acres of woodland, orchard and meadow.
Shenley homes and what they mean for an install
| Type of home | Where | What it means for the install |
|---|---|---|
| Listed cottages and houses | London Road, Pound Lane, Rectory Lane and the thatched cottages on Woodhall Lane | Listed building consent for any unit or pipe hole. We look for a rear ground pad with a short, hidden pipe run. |
| Victorian brick cottages | New Road, Harris Lane and London Road | In the conservation area, so no unit on a wall facing the road without permission. A rear wall or ground pad works. |
| 1950s former council houses | Cage Pond Road, Hillcrest Road and Mead Road | In the conservation area and under an Article 4 direction for the fronts. Keep the unit at the back. |
| Houses and flats in Shenley Park | Porters Park Drive and the roads on the old hospital site | Some roads are inside the conservation area and some aren't. We check your address before choosing a position. |
| Large detached houses | Along the lanes on the edge of the village | Room for a multi-split or two heat pumps under permitted development, with the outdoor unit out of sight. |
The Shenley conservation area
Hertfordshire County Council designated the conservation area in 1969. It was extended in 1978 to take in New Road, Cage Pond Road and part of Harris Lane, and in 1988 to add part of the hospital land and the countryside around Shenley Hill. Hertsmere changed the boundary again in June 2012. The 2012 appraisal splits it into three parts: London Road, the rural lanes to the north-east, and Porters Park with the former hospital site.
The appraisal lists 19 listed building entries, all grade II, including the Cage, St Martin's Church, the White Horse, the Porters Park mansion and the thatched cottages. It also warns about homes sprouting aerials, satellite dishes, alarm boxes and boiler flues. Inside a conservation area, permitted development doesn't allow a heat pump on a wall or roof that fronts a road, or nearer a road that borders the property than the house.
Article 4 directions in Shenley
Hertsmere lists two Article 4 directions in the village. Neither names heat pumps, but ask the council before fitting anything to these houses.
| Houses | Made | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 15 Cage Pond Road, 1 to 19 and 21 Hillcrest Road, 1 to 20 Mead Road | August 1995 | Changes facing a road or open space: extensions, roofs, porches, outbuildings, hard surfaces, dishes, walls and painting, plus chimneys and new access |
| The Clubhouse, 108 London Road | 1992 | Enlarging, improving or altering the house. The government approved it for that class only |
The appraisal describes the Cage Pond Road houses as 1950s former council housing of quality, influenced by the Garden Cities. The direction protects their fronts, so a rear position is the answer.
Planning: Hertsmere Borough Council and the Shenley Plan
Planning in Shenley is handled by Hertsmere Borough Council. A heating-capable outdoor unit on a house can be permitted development if it is not used only for cooling, is no bigger than 1.5 m³ and passes the MCS 020(a) noise check of 37 dB(A) at neighbours' windows. A semi or terrace can have one heat pump, a detached house two. Our planning guide has the rest.
Shenley also has its own neighbourhood plan, the Shenley Neighbourhood Plan 2019 to 2036. It passed its referendum on 6 May 2021 by 1,409 votes to 75 and was made by Hertsmere the same month, so it now sits alongside the council's policies when applications in the parish are decided. Shenley Parish Council meets at the Village Hall on London Road.
What air conditioning costs in Shenley
Our starting prices are the same here as across Hertfordshire and London. Home prices include VAT. Planning or listed building fees are separate and are the council's. The survey gives you a fixed written price.
- 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£2,450inc. VAT
Open plan or a loft
5 kW wall unit
- from£3,650inc. VAT
Two rooms, one outdoor unit
Multi-split
- from£5,100inc. VAT
Three rooms
Multi-split
- from£2,350inc. VAT
Floor-standing unit
2.5 kW console
- from£119inc. VAT
An annual service
Keeps the manufacturer warranty valid
Areas and postcodes we cover
We cover the whole village and the parish around it. London Colney, to the north, is in St Albans district, so planning there goes to St Albans City and District Council instead.
- WD7: Shenley village, Shenley Park, Porters Park and the lanes around Shenley Hill
- Nearby: Radlett, Borehamwood, London Colney and Potters Bar
Shenley questions
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning in Shenley?
It depends where you live. Outside the conservation area, a heating-capable unit on a house is usually permitted development if it meets the size, noise and position limits. Inside it, a unit can't go on a wall or roof facing a road without permission. Listed buildings always need consent. Applications go to Hertsmere Borough Council.
I live on Cage Pond Road. Can I have air conditioning?
Very likely, at the back. Your house is in the conservation area and under a 1995 Article 4 direction that controls changes to the parts facing the road. The direction doesn't name heat pumps, but ask Hertsmere first and keep the outdoor unit on the rear wall or a ground pad in the back garden.
Is my house in Shenley Park in the conservation area?
Maybe. Some roads on the old hospital site are in and some were taken out in June 2012, including Juniper Gardens, Rowan Close, Mulberry Gardens, Hazel Court and Whitebeam Close. If your road is out, the usual permitted development limits apply. We check the council's map for your address before we quote.
Can you fit air conditioning in a thatched or listed cottage?
Often, with listed building consent and care. We keep the outdoor unit well away from the thatch, route pipes through a rear wall, and can give you drawings and noise data for the application. A floor-standing console from £2,350 including VAT can suit rooms where a wall unit would look wrong.
How much does air conditioning cost in a Shenley family house?
A single bedroom starts from £1,850 including VAT, and a living room from £2,050. Two rooms on one outdoor unit start from £3,650 and three rooms from £5,100. We size each room at the survey and give you a fixed written price.
Do you service and repair existing systems?
Yes. An annual service starts at £119 including VAT, and we repair most brands, whoever fitted them. We confirm the cost of the repair visit when you book. Surveys and visits are booked at least a week ahead.