Their gas boiler broke down in May. It was too old to fix, a plumber told James McGrane and his young family. “So it seemed like a good time to make the change to a heat pump,” McGrane, 37, says. Surely it would be ready by winter, he thought. Alas the planners said no.
“After going through a lot of hassle, the local council refused my application for reasons which I think are ridiculous. Given that the weather has turned, this is the end of the road for us,” McGrane says. They have just fitted a new gas boiler.
The family’s case highlights how planning red tape had prevented homeowners from switching to heat pumps — even though the move is key to Britain’s fight