British Gov. ripping out AC units from homes that have them.

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Britons have been ordered to remove air conditioning from their homes - despite the country baking in up to 40C heat this week - under a fresh Net Zero crackdown.

Planning officials at councils have told residents to take down their cooling units over concerns about carbon dioxide emissions.

They say AC, despite the heat, should serve only as a "last resort".

The crackdown comes from building regulations which demand "active cooling" is used only after all "passive cooling" methods, like opening windows or running fans, have been exhausted.

The Tories have accused the Government of leaving Britain "in the dark ages" through Net Zero policies which prevent citizens from accessing "modern conveniences that are completely normal in other countries".

One Londoner received orders to "permanently remove" two cooling units from the rear of their property, The Telegraph revealed.

Camden Council's planning inspectors determined there was "no justification" for the equipment, ruling it breached the authority's "cooling hierarchy" policy.

During an appeal, the homeowner was advised to open windows and balcony doors in their first-floor flat to achieve ventilation "by natural means".

When the resident raised security concerns in the crime-addled capital, inspectors dismissed these, arguing the risk was not "as great as those associated with ground floor windows" and suggesting windows could remain closed overnight....

Camden inspectors specifically noted "the absence of ceiling fans" in the property, though this was never a stated requirement.

Even after determining the units were "neither intrusive nor harmful" to the neighbourhood's character, officials still demanded they were scrapped.

The homeowner ultimately won on appeal to the Planning Inspectorate by proving their property already featured environmental improvements like solar panels.

Londoners are at greater risk of enforcement action.

The capital's borough councils have incorporated rules derived from Sir Sadiq Khan's "London Plan" into their local planning frameworks.

The Mayor's 2021 strategy notes that "new development in London should also be designed to avoid the need for energy intensive air conditioning systems as much as possible".

Camden's local plan pledges to actively "discourage the use of air conditioning" over concerns it raises "demand for energy" and warms "the local micro-climate".

Islington Council also restricts cooling systems on environmental grounds, saying they "must only be considered as a last resort"....

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Homeowners are being forced to tear out air conditioning from their private properties under climate laws, despite rising temperatures.

Council planning officers ordered residents to remove air-con units over fears they produce too much carbon dioxide, stating they should only be used as a “last resort”.

The net zero clampdown is part of building regulations that state “active cooling” should only ever be allowed when all other means of “passive cooling”, such as opening windows or using fans, have been exhausted.

The Tories said Britain was being “kept in the dark ages” under a net zero mindset that denies people “modern conveniences that are completely normal in other countries”.

Meanwhile, temperatures are forecast to reach as high as 40C this week, with Britain sweltering under a record heatwave that has forced schools to close, brought trains to a halt and led to the Met Office issuing a red “risk-to-life” warning.


...Widely published advice states planning permission is not required to install air-con. However, planning is required in certain situations, such as in conservation areas, and there are different rules for flats, leasehold homes, as well as shared buildings.

It means there is a risk units are installed under the assumption they are permitted, but are later caught by council enforcement officers.

In one of a string of cases uncovered by The Telegraph, a resident living in North London was forced to “permanently remove” two air-con units from the back of their home.

Planning inspectors working for Camden council said there was “no justification” for the air-con units and that they failed to comply with the local authority’s so-called “cooling hierarchy”.

In an appeal, the resident was told to open the windows and balcony doors of their first-floor flat to ventilate the property “by natural means”.

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