Air conditioning in Stevenage
We install, service and repair air conditioning in homes and businesses across Stevenage, from the Old Town and Symonds Green to Chells, Shephall and the Gunnels Wood employment area. Here's how the town's homes, the borough's planning rules and parking affect an install.
- designated the first new town
- 1946
- conservation areas in the borough
- 7
- single room, from
- £1,850
- annual service, from
- £119
Britain's first new town
Stevenage was designated the first new town in November 1946, under the New Towns programme. Historic England's listing for the Town Square clock tower records it as a monument both to the town and to the programme as a whole.
The new town grew around the old one, whose High Street is now the Old Town. That's why most of the homes we quote here are post-war terraces, semis and low-rise flats set along footpaths and green verges, with older houses in the Old Town and newer estates on the edges.
Stevenage homes and what they mean for an install
| Type of home | Typical areas | What it means for the install |
|---|---|---|
| New town terraces and semis | Bedwell, Broadwater, Chells, Pin Green, Shephall, St Nicholas, Symonds Green | Outdoor unit on the back wall or a ground pad. End-of-terrace houses often have room at the side. One room is usually fitted in a day. |
| Low-rise flats and maisonettes | Across the neighbourhoods and around the town centre | Freeholder or landlord consent first. Permitted development allows one heat pump per block, so we check the block before quoting. |
| Older houses and cottages | The Old Town, Orchard Road and the old village greens | Several are in conservation areas. A rear position, out of sight from the street, is the usual answer. |
| Newer estates | Estates on the edges of town | Simple installs in well-insulated homes. Check your deeds and planning conditions for rules about external equipment. |
Planning: Stevenage Borough Council
Planning in Stevenage is handled by Stevenage Borough Council, not Hertfordshire County Council. One catch: Great Ashby, on the north-east edge of town, sits in North Hertfordshire district, so applications there go to North Herts Council.
A heating-capable outdoor unit on a house is often permitted development, so no application is needed if every limit is met. The main ones: the unit must not be used only for cooling, it must be no bigger than 1.5 m³, and it must pass the MCS 020(a) noise check of 37 dB(A) at neighbours' windows. A terraced or semi-detached house can have one heat pump under these rules, a detached house two. Our planning guide sets out the rest.
In July 2026 the government announced that Hertfordshire's county and district councils will be replaced by four unitary councils from 1 April 2028, subject to Parliament's approval. Stevenage would join a new central Hertfordshire council with Welwyn Hatfield and most of North Herts. Until then, the borough council decides applications here.
Conservation areas and Article 4 directions
The borough council lists seven conservation areas. In these, a unit can't go on a wall or roof facing the road without planning permission, so we look for a rear or side position. Listed buildings always need consent.
- Old Town High Street and Orchard Road
- St Nicholas and Rectory Lane
- Town Square, the new town centre, designated in 1988
- Shephall Green and Symonds Green, around the old village greens
- Broadwater
Air conditioning for Stevenage businesses
Gunnels Wood is the town's main employment area, a mix of large international firms, manufacturing, distribution and smaller businesses. Pin Green is another. We fit and look after systems in offices, meeting rooms, shops in the town centre and the Old Town, clinics and small server rooms.
Ceiling cassettes suit offices with suspended ceilings. Wall units suit smaller rooms and shops. Commercial installs are done in business hours, and we can take over servicing from another installer or set up a maintenance contract.
Parking on install day
The council runs permit parking areas on some residential streets, starting with Burymead in 2018, then a group of Old Town streets in 2020 and the Ingleside Drive estate in 2025. Hours vary by area. The council allows vehicles to stop while actively loading or unloading at a property. If you live in one of these areas, tell us when you book and we'll agree where the van can park.
What air conditioning costs in Stevenage
Our starting prices are the same here as across Hertfordshire and London. Home prices include VAT. Business prices are plus VAT. The survey turns these into 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£3,650inc. VAT
Two rooms, one outdoor unit
Multi-split
- from£5,100inc. VAT
Three rooms
Multi-split
- from£1,795+ VAT
Commercial wall unit
Fitted in business hours
- from£2,750+ VAT
Ceiling cassette
In a suitable suspended ceiling
- from£119inc. VAT
An annual service
Keeps the manufacturer warranty valid
- from£125inc. VAT
Repair diagnostic visit
First hour on site, deducted if you go ahead
Areas and postcodes we cover
We cover the whole town and the villages around it, including:
- SG1: the town centre, Old Town, Bedwell, Pin Green, St Nicholas, Symonds Green, Martins Wood and Great Ashby
- SG2: Broadwater, Chells, Shephall, Bandley Hill, Poplars and Longmeadow, plus Aston and Walkern
- Nearby: Knebworth, Hitchin and Letchworth Garden City
Stevenage questions
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning in Stevenage?
Often not. A heating-capable unit on a house can be permitted development if it meets the size, position and noise limits. You'll need permission for a listed building, a cooling-only unit, or a unit on a wall facing the road in a conservation area. Applications go to Stevenage Borough Council, or North Herts Council in Great Ashby.
I want to cool three bedrooms in my new town terrace. How does that work?
On a terraced or semi-detached house, permitted development allows one heat pump. A multi-split solves that: one outdoor unit serves several indoor units. Three rooms start from £5,100 including VAT. We survey the pipe routes first.
My house is council-owned or a housing association home. Can I have air conditioning?
Only with your landlord's written permission, because it's an alteration to the building. Ask them first. If they agree, we can survey and give you a fixed written price to share with them.
I live in the Old Town. Can I still have air conditioning?
Usually, yes, with care. In a conservation area the outdoor unit can't go on a wall or roof facing the road under permitted development, so we look for a rear or side position. If the building is listed, you'll need listed building consent as well.
Do you fit air conditioning for businesses at Gunnels Wood?
Yes. We fit wall units, ceiling cassettes and multi-room systems, and service existing systems of most brands. Commercial wall units start from £1,795 plus VAT and cassettes from £2,750 plus VAT. Office installs happen in business hours.
How much is a service or a repair visit?
An annual service starts at £119 including VAT, plus £59 for each extra indoor unit on the same visit. If something has gone wrong, a repair diagnostic visit is £125, which covers the first hour and is deducted if you go ahead.