Air Conditioning in Burgess Hill
From the Victorian terraces of Fairfield to the new estates at Kings Way and Brookleigh, we survey, install and service air conditioning across Burgess Hill from our Horsham office.
How Burgess Hill Was Built, and Why It Matters
Mid Sussex District Council's historic character assessment calls Burgess Hill a new town of the railway age, its interest lying almost solely in what followed the arrival of the railway in 1841. From the beginning it was largely residential, relying on commuters and people of independent means who lived in detached and semi detached villas. London and Brighton were the traditional places to commute to, with Crawley and Gatwick joining them later.
The ground under the town shows in its walls. Burgess Hill lies in the Low Weald on Weald Clay, and the council's assessment records brickmaking on St John's Common from as early as the 16th century, an industry that Keymer Tiles, formerly the Keymer Brick and Tile Company, carried into modern times. Brick is the main building material of the older parts of the town, from the Fairfield terraces to villas with clay tile hanging or render, and that decides how we drill through for the pipework and how we make the wall good afterwards.
Growth came in waves. The council's assessment shows the population rising sharply after the Second World War, with a rapid expansion of housing in the 1960s and 1970s, and at the 2011 census Burgess Hill was the most populous settlement in Mid Sussex. Thousands more homes are now planned, most of them at Brookleigh to the north. With so many building ages side by side, the right place for an outdoor unit on one street can be quite different from the right place on the next.
Burgess Hill Houses and Where the Units Go
The council's character assessment and the town's growth programme between them describe five broad kinds of housing, each with its own answer for the outdoor unit and the pipe run.
Fairfield Terraces and Artisans' Cottages
West of London Road, and especially north of Royal George Road, lies what the council describes as the largest concentration of small Victorian terraced houses in Mid Sussex: brick built, many bay fronted, with small front gardens behind low walls, at high density. With no side access, the outdoor unit usually goes on the rear wall or in the back garden, and the pipe route is planned through the house or along the back. Fairfield is a conservation area, so an outdoor unit may need planning permission, especially anywhere visible from the street, and we check before we drill.
Villas in Silverdale Road and Around St John's Park
Silverdale Road and Birchwood Grove Road have substantial Victorian and Edwardian houses in large gardens with mature trees, built in traditional brick with clay tile hanging, render and ornamental ridge tiles. Around St John's Park, well spaced town houses line Park Road and Crescent Road, with large buildings in spacious gardens at the quiet northern end of Upper St John's Road. Both groups of roads are conservation areas, so consent may be needed for an outdoor unit, which is best kept to a rear elevation or a screened spot in the garden. Tile hung and rendered walls call for care when drilling, and large rooms need proper sizing at survey.
Roads Built Up by 1947
The council's character assessment records Royal George Road, Victoria Road and Norman Road on the west, where there is interwar council housing, and Inholmes Park Road, Crescent Road, Leylands Road, St Wilfrid's Road, Mill Road and World's End on the east as built up by 1947. Houses of this period usually have gardens at the front and back, so a rear wall or a ground level plinth with a short pipe run is often possible.
Post War Estates and Bungalows
After 1947 housing estates extended the town in all directions, most substantially to the south west and west out to Jane Murray Way: off Leylands Road and Folders Lane in the 1960s and 1970s, at Sheddingdean and West End Farm in the 1980s, and at Hammonds Farm towards the A273 bypass in the 1990s, with post war bungalows at Wyberlye Road. Estate houses and bungalows tend to have cavity walls and plain back gardens, which suits a back to back installation: the indoor unit sits on the inside of the wall that carries the outdoor unit, keeping the pipe run short and tidy.
Kings Way, Kings Weald, Fairbridge Way and Brookleigh
The large new developments include Kings Way by Persimmon, Kings Weald by Croudace on the former Keymer Tiles works, Fairbridge Way, and Brookleigh to the north of the town, led by Homes England with its partners. New houses are well insulated and airtight, so sizing to the room matters. Before choosing where the outdoor unit goes, check the planning permission, the deeds and any management company rules, because some estates restrict fixtures on the front or other visible walls.
New Build Placement
Thousands more homes are planned for Burgess Hill, most of them at Brookleigh to the north. On a new build, where the outdoor unit goes depends on the deeds and the estate as much as on the wall.
Drag the outdoor unit, or select it and use the arrow keys.
About 7 m of pipe
The scale runs to 20 m, the most one Mitsubishi Heavy Industries range of wall units allows one way. A rough guide only: the survey confirms the route and the limit for the unit chosen.
From the Street
Out of sight from the road.
On view from the road.
Only glimpsed from the road.
Side Return, Front
- From the Street
- On view from the road, through the gap beside the house.
- Neighbours
- Faces the side wall of the house next door across the fence, close to the boundary.
- Pipe Run
- About 15 m. Along the back wall and the whole length of the side wall, the longest of the four here.
- Covenants
- Covenants on a new development can control changes to how a house looks. A unit on view from the road is the one most likely to need written consent from the developer or the management company.
- Planning
- The national rules now allow a unit within a metre of the boundary, but it still has to meet a set sound calculation, so this spot needs that checked.
Side Return, Back
- From the Street
- Further down the side, so only glimpsed from the road, if at all.
- Neighbours
- Still close to the boundary, beside the side wall of the house next door and any windows in it.
- Pipe Run
- About 9.5 m. Short: out through the back wall and round the corner.
- Covenants
- Less likely to change how the house looks from the road, but the deeds may still ask for written consent before any alteration.
- Planning
- As at the front of the side return, a unit this close to the boundary has to meet the set sound calculation to fall within the national rules.
Rear Wall
- From the Street
- Out of sight from the road, behind the house.
- Neighbours
- Faces your own garden. On a semi, keep it away from the attached neighbour’s side, where their windows and garden are closest. On a detached house, keep it clear of the side fences, where the houses next door are closest.
- Pipe Run
- About 7 m. The shortest of the four here: out through the wall behind the indoor unit and a short way along it.
- Covenants
- Out of view from the road, though the deeds and the estate rules still need reading first.
- Planning
- Air conditioning that also heats can fall within permitted development on a house. A system that only cools is likely to need a planning application.
Garden
- From the Street
- Out of sight from the road.
- Neighbours
- Further from the house, but closer to the rear fence and the gardens behind, so the way the fan faces matters.
- Pipe Run
- About 9.5 m. Down the back wall and under the lawn, so longer, with a trench to dig and make good. The unit needs a solid level base and open air around it.
- Covenants
- Covenants can cover building in the garden as well as altering the house, so read the deeds.
- Planning
- The same national size limits and conditions apply to a unit standing in the garden.
Before Anything Goes on the Wall
Since 29 May 2025 the national permitted development rules allow an outdoor unit of up to 1.5 cubic metres on a house, as long as the system is not used only for cooling.
On a semi detached house that means one unit.
On a detached house that can be two units.
A system that only cools is likely to need a planning application, and a house in a conservation area or a listed building may need consent. A condition on the estate’s own planning permission, or an article 4 direction, can restrict permitted development rights, so we check the permission for your development with Mid Sussex District Council before we drill.
How the Pipe Is Measured
The length is a rough guide: the route drawn along the walls, plus about 4 m down from the indoor unit in a first floor bedroom. For one Mitsubishi Heavy Industries range of wall units the manual allows up to 20 m of pipe one way, but other ranges and brands differ, and the survey confirms the route and the limit for the unit chosen.
On a new development, read the deeds and the management company’s rules first, and ask for any written consent a covenant needs before the work is booked.
Air Conditioning for Burgess Hill Homes
In a terrace or a newly built semi, the usual answer is a wall mounted unit in the bedroom or living room that needs it most, with the outdoor unit on the back wall. Where two or three rooms need cooling, a multi split system runs them all from one outdoor unit and keeps the back of the house tidier. The systems we fit also heat in winter, so they are useful all year round, not only in a hot spell.
On a new estate, the position of the outdoor unit is often the main decision. The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries technical manual for one of its wall unit ranges, for example, sets a maximum pipe length and a maximum height difference between the indoor and outdoor units, says the outdoor unit must not be surrounded by walls on four sides, and asks for clear space above it; other brands set their own limits. We measure the run at the survey and show you the workable options on the side or rear of the house.
If you already have a system that has stopped cooling, is leaking water or is showing an error code, our page on air conditioning repairs explains how we find the fault and price the work before we start. Systems put in by other installers are no problem: we repair all the major makes.
Planning, Conservation Areas and Estate Rules
Mid Sussex District Council lists three conservation areas in Burgess Hill: Silverdale Road and Birchwood Grove Road, designated in 1982, and St John's and Fairfield, both designated in 1989. St John's, around St John's Park north of the town centre, contains some of the oldest buildings in the town and two listed buildings, St John's Church and the Providence Strict Baptist Chapel in Park Road.
The church, built from 1861 to 1863 to a design by Thomas Talbot Bury, is Grade II listed, as is its boundary wall. Fairfield, west of London Road, is one of the earliest parts of the town, mostly brick, with views south to the South Downs and the Jack and Jill windmills.
An outdoor unit in a conservation area or on a listed building may need consent, so we check before we drill. Planning Portal guidance says adding air conditioning to a house may count as permitted development only if the system provides a heating function, and that a system which only cools is likely to need a planning application. The guidance changes from time to time, so we look at the details for your address and suggest you confirm with the council before the work is booked.
New estates add another layer. Government planning guidance explains that a condition on a planning permission can be used to restrict permitted development rights, provided the condition is precisely defined, and that councils can also withdraw rights across an area with an article 4 direction, so the permission for your estate is worth reading. Restrictive covenants can also require written consent before you alter a house or change how it looks. On Kings Way, Kings Weald or Brookleigh, check the deeds and any management company rules before we settle on a wall.
Commercial Air Conditioning in Burgess Hill
Victoria Business Park, the larger of the two, and Sheddingdean are the town's main business parks. To the west, Panattoni Park, south of the A2300 in the western business growth corridor, has all its units built with occupations under way, and the recently announced Arcus Park offers flexible employment units to buy or rent. When a business moves into a unit, we can design a system around the way the space will actually be used, from an open office to a server room.
In the centre, the main shopping is Market Place and the Martlets Shopping Centre. NewRiver REIT was granted planning permission in 2021 to regenerate the town centre with new and refurbished shops, leisure uses, a hotel, more parking and new homes, and a new library and the relocated Lidl on Leylands Road have already been delivered. For shops, cafés and offices we fit ceiling cassettes, ducted and wall mounted systems and work around trading hours.
The biggest commercial systems carry the heaviest F-Gas duties. A system holding 50 to under 500 tonnes CO2 equivalent needs a leak check twice a year, or once a year where automatic leak detection is fitted. Our planned maintenance contracts cover those checks, the servicing that goes with them and the records you are required to keep.
Air Handling Maintenance on Burgess Hill Business Parks
Units on Victoria Business Park, Sheddingdean and the newer parks to the west often combine offices, workshops and storage, with an air handling unit supplying fresh air to the busiest spaces. Air handling maintenance in Burgess Hill keeps that unit to a written schedule, so the next engineer can see what was done and when.
When a business takes on a unit with older plant already in it, air handling refurbishment in Burgess Hill can bring it back into good order for the new tenant. Commercial air conditioning servicing in Burgess Hill, for the same unit or for shops in the Martlets and Market Place, can sit alongside it on the same planned maintenance visits.
Our Visits to Burgess Hill and the Service That Follows
Burgess Hill is about 11 miles south east of our office in the Afon Building, Horsham, so the town and the villages around it are part of our regular round of surveys, installations and repairs. Jay and Oscar quote for and carry out the work themselves, and Nicola runs the office and arranges each booking.
After installation, a regular service keeps the system working properly and the manufacturer's warranty in force. On each visit our engineers go through the filters, coils and condensate drain, test the fans and electrics, read the refrigerant pressures and check the controls, then write up what they found and did.
Hassocks sits just to the south, and you can read about air conditioning in Hassocks on its own page. To the north east, our page on air conditioning in Haywards Heath covers that town's villas, flats and conservation areas.
Villages Around Burgess Hill
Our visits take in the villages all around the town, many of them close to the South Downs, with Ditchling inside the National Park.
- DitchlingBN6
A village in Lewes District inside the South Downs National Park, where the order confirming the park was signed.
- HurstpierpointBN6
Its conservation area runs the length of the High Street from the White Horse Inn, with panoramic views of the South Downs.
- HassocksBN6
Hassocks grew around its station, opened on the London and Brighton Railway in 1841, with the South Downs to the south of the parish.
- KeymerBN6
Its conservation area holds the only seven listed buildings in the built up area of Keymer and Hassocks, the oldest being the 15th century Old Manor House.
- ClaytonBN6
Clayton lies at the foot of the South Downs below the Jack and Jill windmills and is now part of Hassocks parish.
- Sayers CommonBN6
Two miles north west of Hurstpierpoint, it became a more popular residential village after being partly bypassed by the new A23.
- AlbourneBN6
Albourne's conservation area includes Gallops, an L shaped timber framed building dating from 1661 or earlier.
- HicksteadRH17
A hamlet in Twineham parish and the home of the All England Jumping Course.
- WivelsfieldRH17
Together with the larger neighbouring village of Wivelsfield Green, it forms the core of Wivelsfield parish in Lewes District, East Sussex.
Our Services in Burgess Hill
The same engineers on every job, from a single bedroom unit to a plant room.
Domestic Air Conditioning Installation
Single split, multi split and ducted systems for houses, bungalows, park homes and garden rooms.
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Commercial Air Conditioning
Design, installation and planned maintenance for offices, shops, bars, hospitality and industrial units.
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Air Conditioning Repairs
Fast diagnosis and repair on any major brand, priced before we start, genuine parts fitted.
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Air Conditioning Servicing
Filters, coils, drains, electrics and refrigerant, with a written record every visit.
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Planned Maintenance
PPM contracts for commercial sites, scheduled around your trading hours rather than ours.
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Specification Sheets
Download the data sheets for the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and GENERAL systems we install.
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Air Handling
AHUs installed, maintained, repaired and refurbished. Filters, coils, fans, motors and dampers.
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Mechanical Assembly
Pipework, manifolds, valves and plant room assembly, brazed, pressure tested and insulated.
Explore →Your Burgess Hill Questions, Answered
Can you fit air conditioning in a Victorian terrace in Fairfield?
Yes. Terraces there have no side access and small front gardens, so the outdoor unit usually goes on the rear wall or in the back garden, with the pipework routed through the house or along the back. Fairfield is a conservation area, so an outdoor unit may need planning permission, particularly where it would be visible from the street. We look into it before we drill, and the council can confirm the position for your address.
Where can the outdoor unit go on a new build house at Kings Way or Brookleigh?
We normally start by looking at the side or rear wall, but check your paperwork first. The planning permission for your estate, your deeds and any management company rules may restrict fixtures on the front or other visible walls. Once you know what is allowed, we measure the pipe run at survey, keep within the manufacturer's limits for length and height, and leave the unit clear space to breathe.
Does air conditioning need planning permission in Burgess Hill?
It depends on the house and the system. Planning Portal guidance says air conditioning on a house may count as permitted development only where the system also heats, while one that only cools is likely to need an application. In the Silverdale Road, St John's and Fairfield conservation areas, or on a listed building, an outdoor unit may need consent. We check the address before we drill and recommend confirming with Mid Sussex District Council.
Do new build homes in Burgess Hill need a different size of system?
They need sizing with more care. New houses are well insulated and airtight, so a unit picked by habit can be more powerful than the room needs. We work out the size at the survey from the room, its windows and how you use it. An inverter unit then eases off once the room is at the temperature you set, which keeps it running quietly.
Do you look after air conditioning on Victoria Business Park or Sheddingdean?
We can. Our engineers design, fit, service and repair systems for offices, shops, server rooms and industrial units, and we plan the work around your trading hours. For larger systems a planned maintenance contract covers the legally required F-Gas leak checks and keeps the records for you, so the dates are tracked on your behalf. Ring the office to arrange a site survey.
How far is Burgess Hill from your office?
Burgess Hill is about 11 miles south east of our office on Worthing Road, Horsham, and the town and its villages, from Hurstpierpoint and Hassocks to Ditchling and Wivelsfield, are all part of our regular area. To book a free survey, phone 01403 733 492; for an emergency or a problem outside office hours, the engineers' mobile is 07802 418530.
We Also Work Nearby
Arrange a Free Survey in Burgess Hill
Phone the office on 01403 733 492 or write to info@jacairconditioning.com to fix a survey date, and the free written quotation that follows will name the units we propose. You can also use our enquiry form, and for an emergency outside office hours ring the engineers directly on 07802 418530. Our REFCOM F-Gas company certificate, number REF1019419, is valid to 25 May 2028.