Air conditioning in Kensington & Chelsea: what you can install and what the grant covers
No London borough is more protected than Kensington & Chelsea: 38 conservation areas cover nearly three-quarters of it, and there are around 3,800 listed buildings in five square miles. If you live here, where the unit goes matters more than whether you can have one. And you may not pay full price: a wall-mounted air-to-air heat pump — air conditioning that also heats — can qualify for the government's £2,500 grant.
See if the £2,500 grant applies to your home — five questions.
Check my eligibilityDo you need planning permission in Kensington & Chelsea?
For the minority of RBKC homes that are houses outside a conservation area, an air-to-air heat pump is usually permitted development — one unit, under 1.5 m³, meeting the MCS noise standard, not above ground level on a street-facing wall.
But with roughly 70–75% of the borough inside a conservation area, most installs here start from the assumption that street-visible placement is off the table. The council publishes its own application checklist for air source heat pumps, and cooling-only air conditioning always needs an application. Rule of thumb for RBKC: plan for the rear elevation, a lightwell or an internal courtyard, and let your installer handle the paperwork.
Conservation areas in Kensington & Chelsea
Ladbroke, Chelsea, Holland Park, Queen's Gate — 38 areas in all, covering the stucco terraces and garden squares the borough is famous for.
Inside them, permitted development doesn't apply to any unit on a wall or roof fronting the street, and listed buildings (there are around 3,800) need listed building consent on top of planning permission. This sounds daunting; in practice rear and concealed placements are approved routinely, and a good installer will design for that from the first site visit.
Flats and leaseholds
About 83% of RBKC households live in flats — mansion blocks, converted townhouses and mews. Flats don't get permitted development rights, so expect a planning application plus your freeholder's licence to fix a unit to the building.
Renters: the grant belongs to the property, so share your checker result with your landlord — it's their £2,500 too.
The £2,500 grant in Kensington & Chelsea
Here's the borough's quiet secret: 14% of RBKC households — one of the highest rates in inner London — heat with electricity only. Behind the stucco fronts are thousands of flats on panel heaters and storage heaters.
Those are precisely the homes the £2,500 air-to-air grant targets: it's ring-fenced for properties replacing direct electric heating. Your MCS-certified installer claims the voucher through Ofgem for you and takes it off the bill.
See if the £2,500 grant applies to your home — five questions.
Check my eligibilityFrequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning in Kensington & Chelsea?
Often yes, because nearly three-quarters of the borough is conservation area and most homes are flats. Houses outside conservation areas can usually install an air-to-air heat pump as permitted development; everyone else should budget for an application. Your installer handles it.
Can I install air con in a Kensington & Chelsea conservation area?
Usually, if the unit isn't on a wall or roof facing the street. Rear elevations, lightwells and courtyards are the standard placements in areas like Ladbroke and Chelsea. Listed buildings also need listed building consent.
Can flats in Kensington & Chelsea get the £2,500 grant?
Yes — and RBKC has one of London's highest shares of electric-only heating (about 14% of households), which is exactly what the grant is ring-fenced to replace. You'll need freeholder consent for the external unit.
Who applies for the grant?
Your MCS-certified installer applies to Ofgem on your behalf and deducts £2,500 from your quote. You never fill in a government form.
Nearby
Useful links
SOURCES
RBKC conservation areas page
RBKC listed buildings page
ONS Census 2021 (E09000020)
legislation.gov.uk GPDO Part 14 Class G
Local information is indicative. Confirm planning and costs with an MCS-certified installer for your address, and check the current Ofgem guidance for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.