Air conditioning in Bexley
We install, service and repair air conditioning for homes and businesses across the London Borough of Bexley, from Bexleyheath and Welling to Sidcup, Erith, Crayford and Belvedere. Most homes here are houses with gardens, which makes an outdoor unit easier to place. Here's what to know first.
- of households in a semi-detached house
- 44%
- conservation areas in Bexley
- 23
- per bay per day, 3 days' notice
- £50
- annual service, from
- £119
A borough of interwar semis
Bexley's Local Plan describes the borough as dominated by privately owned, interwar, low-density residential neighbourhoods. The council's Local Character Study says the population doubled in the 1930s, as large interwar estates grew up around Bexleyheath and Welling.
The 2021 Census bears that out. 44 per cent of Bexley households live in a semi-detached house, against 19 per cent across London. Another 24 per cent live in a terraced house and only 21 per cent in a purpose-built flat.
That's good news for air conditioning. A 1930s semi usually has a side passage or a rear wall where the outdoor unit can sit out of sight of the street. One outdoor unit can then run a multi-split, cooling three or four bedrooms with a single set of pipes down the side of the house. On a terrace, we usually work from the back garden or a back-addition wall.
Planning in Bexley
Planning questions go to Bexley Council. Its Local Plan, adopted on 26 April 2023, sits alongside the London Plan and guides development in the borough to 2038.
For an unlisted house, a unit that heats as well as cools can often go in without planning permission under the national rules, if it meets the size, position and noise limits. Cooling-only units, listed buildings and units on a wall facing the road in a conservation area need permission. Our planning guide explains the rules in full.
If you want the council's view before you apply, Bexley's pre-application advice for householder proposals costs £153 for a written response.
Conservation areas and Article 4 directions
The council says Bexley has 23 conservation areas. Four of them, Brook Street, Old Bexley, Old Forge Way and Red House Lane, also have Article 4 directions, which take away some permitted development rights for the homes they cover. If your home is in one of these, check with the council before planning an outdoor unit.
Elsewhere in a conservation area, a unit at the back of the house, away from the road, is often fine. We check your address at the survey.
- Old Bexley and Parkhurst in Bexley village
- Red House Lane in Bexleyheath
- The Green, The Oval, The Hollies, Halfway Street and Longlands Road in Sidcup
- Christ Church, Old Forge Way and Willersley Avenue and Braundton Avenue in Sidcup
- Erith Riverside, Lesney Park Road and Brook Street, Northumberland Heath
- Erith Road, Woolwich Road and Crossness in Belvedere
- Iron Mill Lane and Star Hill in Crayford, and Oak Road in Slade Green
- Foots Cray, North Cray Village and High Beeches
Shops, offices and industrial units
The Local Plan names Bexleyheath as the borough's major town centre, with district centres at Sidcup, Welling, Erith, Crayford and Lower Belvedere. We fit wall units and ceiling cassettes in shops and offices there, in business hours, and service and repair existing systems.
Bexley also has a lot of industrial land, including the Belvedere industrial area, the Erith industrial areas, Thames Road in Crayford and the Foots Cray Business Area. Units there often need cooling for offices, server rooms or staff areas. We size each system from the heat load, not just the floor area.
Parking and access for engineers
Bexley has controlled parking zones in Bexleyheath, Sidcup and Welling town centres, around several stations, and in Bexley Village, Crayford, Erith, Barnehurst and Albany Park. Most zones outside the town centres only run for an hour or two on weekdays, so outside those hours we can often park normally.
Where we need a clear bay, Bexley charges £50 per bay per day, or £150 per bay per week, with at least three working days' notice. To park on a yellow line for loading, a dispensation is £25 per vehicle per day with one working day's notice. We apply and show the council's fee on your quote.
Bexley is outside the Congestion Charge zone. TfL's ULEZ covers all London boroughs, including Bexley, though not neighbouring Dartford in Kent.
Prices in Bexley
Our standard prices. Home prices include VAT and business prices are plus VAT. Long pipe runs and access equipment are quoted after the survey.
- 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£119inc. VAT
An annual service
Keeps the manufacturer warranty valid
Neighbourhoods we cover
We work across the borough, including DA5 to DA8, DA14 to DA18 and the Bexley parts of DA1, SE2 and SE28:
- Bexleyheath, Barnehurst and Bexley village
- Welling, Falconwood and East Wickham
- Sidcup, Blackfen, Lamorbey, Albany Park and Foots Cray
- Erith, Northumberland Heath and Slade Green
- Crayford and North Cray
- Belvedere, and the Bexley side of Thamesmead and Abbey Wood
Bexley questions
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning in Bexley?
Often not for a house. A heating-capable unit on an unlisted house can usually go in under national permitted development rules if it meets the size, position and noise limits. You'll need permission for a cooling-only unit, a listed building, and a unit facing the road in a conservation area. In the four Article 4 areas, check with Bexley Council first.
Can one outdoor unit cool all the bedrooms in my Bexleyheath or Welling semi?
Usually, yes. A multi-split runs two to four indoor units from one outdoor unit at the side or back of the house. Two rooms start from £3,650 inc. VAT and three from £5,100 inc. VAT. The survey confirms sizes and pipe routes.
Does living in Old Bexley or a Sidcup conservation area stop me having air conditioning?
No, but it limits where the outdoor unit can go. Under permitted development it can't sit on a wall or roof facing the road. Old Bexley also has an Article 4 direction, so ask the council before you commit. We pick a position at the back and give you the noise data if an application is needed.
Will I pay for parking during the install?
Only if the street is controlled and we need a suspended bay. Bexley charges £50 per bay per day with three working days' notice. Many zones only run for an hour or two on weekdays, so often there's no charge at all.
Do you fit air conditioning in Bexley shops, offices and industrial units?
Yes. Commercial wall units start from £1,795 plus VAT and ceiling cassettes from £2,750 plus VAT, fitted in business hours. We also service and repair existing systems in Bexleyheath, Erith, Crayford and beyond.
Do you service and repair air conditioning in Bexley?
Yes, for homes and businesses, including Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, LG and Panasonic systems. An annual service starts from £119 inc. VAT. Repairs start with a diagnostic visit from £125 inc. VAT, deducted if you go ahead with the repair.