Air conditioning in Croydon

Victorian north, 1930s south

Croydon's Local Plan describes the borough as Victorian railway suburbs in the north and 20th century suburbs on wooded hillsides in the south. That split shapes most installs we quote here.

Thornton Heath, South Norwood and the north of Addiscombe are mostly Victorian and Edwardian terraces. The outdoor unit usually goes at the back, on the ground or on the back-addition wall, and pipes run through the rear rooms. Loft conversions in these terraces get hot in summer and are a common first room for a unit.

Shirley is mainly planned estates of semi-detached houses. Sanderstead is described in the Local Plan as a predominantly 1930s suburb, and Coulsdon and Purley have many detached houses on larger plots. Side and rear walls give more room here, so multi-split systems serving three or four bedrooms from one outdoor unit are a good fit.

Offices and flats in central Croydon

The Local Plan says central Croydon had more office floor space than anywhere else in south London. It protects an office area around East Croydon station and New Town, and directs tall buildings to the Croydon Opportunity Area along Wellesley Road.

For offices we fit wall units, ceiling cassettes in suspended ceilings and multi-room systems, and service existing systems in business hours. For town-centre flats we work with the managing agent on where an outdoor unit can go, which is often a balcony or a shared plant area.

Planning in Croydon

Croydon's adopted plan is still the Croydon Local Plan 2018. A revised plan was submitted for examination in November 2024. Policy DM23 says the council will set planning conditions where needed to keep noise acceptable, relative to ambient noise levels and the character of the area. The Local Plan also says plant, including heating and cooling systems, should be thought about early so it fits the building rather than spoiling it.

There are 21 conservation areas. The Article 4 direction in the Chatsworth Road conservation area is the widest. It removes permitted development rights for alterations to houses, roofs and exterior painting, so check with the council before planning a unit there. The Waldrons and Kenley Aerodrome directions cover things like hard surfaces, gates, fences and walls.

Croydon also has Local Heritage Areas, such as the Addiscombe College Estate and Upper Shirley Road. The council says these add no extra consent requirements and don't affect permitted development rights. For an unlisted house, a heating-capable unit can often go in without planning permission. Our planning guide explains the national rules and the exceptions.

• Central Croydon, Church Street, Croydon Minster and Wellesley Road (North)
• Chatsworth Road, Croham Manor Road and Harold Road
• South Norwood, Upper Norwood Triangle, Beulah Hill and Norwood Grove
• Norbury Estate, St Bernards and East India Estate
• Bradmore Green, Kenley Aerodrome and The Webb Estate
• Addington Village and The Waldrons

Parking and access for engineers

Croydon has 20 controlled parking zones, from the Centre and East Croydon zones to Purley, Coulsdon, Norbury, Thornton Heath and South Norwood. The council publishes a map for each zone showing its streets and hours.

In a CPZ we either use pay-and-display or ask the council to suspend a bay. Croydon needs at least 10 working days' notice by email, and payment before the suspension goes up. For businesses it's a £57 admin charge plus £68 a day in central CPZ bays or £57 a day elsewhere. If your job needs one, the fee is on your quote.

Croydon's construction noise hours for substantial works are 8am to 6pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays, with no noisy work on Sundays or bank holidays. We keep drilling within those hours.

Prices in Croydon

Standard prices for homes and offices. Business prices are plus VAT. Long pipe runs or access equipment are quoted after the survey.

• A bedroom or study

  2.5 kW wall unit, 5 m pipe, fitted in a day

  from£1,850inc. VAT

• A living room

  3.5 kW wall unit

  from£2,050inc. VAT

• Three rooms

  Multi-split

  from£5,100inc. VAT

• Commercial wall unit

  Fitted in business hours

  from£1,795+ VAT

• Ceiling cassette

  In a suitable suspended ceiling

  from£2,750+ VAT

• An annual service

  Keeps the manufacturer warranty valid

  from£119inc. VAT

Neighbourhoods we cover

We work across the borough, including:

• Croydon town centre, East Croydon and South Croydon
• Addiscombe, Shirley and Woodside
• Thornton Heath, Broad Green, Selhurst and Waddon
• Norbury and Pollards Hill
• South Norwood, Upper Norwood and Crystal Palace
• Purley, Kenley and Coulsdon
• Sanderstead, Selsdon and Addington
• New Addington

Croydon questions