“Our political leaders should focus on making the lives better of the people they represent, not sending dictacts to businesses,” he added.
“This kind of nanny state, snitch on thy neighbour nonsense undermines community spirit. The most vibrant high streets in London are the ones where businesses are a integral part of the local community; funding the Christmas lights, sponsoring local events.
“We should want small and local businesses to grow and succeed, not be burdening them under needless red tape about when they can and cant open the door. Nor should we be wasting money on a Door Squad for the Police to enforce it.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “London has experienced the impact of the climate emergency first-hand in recent years, with soaring temperatures and flash floods.
“The Mayor is ensuring London is better prepared and more resilient to the impacts of climate change, which is why he commissioned the London Climate Resilience Review.
“The first heat risk action plan for London is to be launched in the summer, which will include actions to address cooling London’s infrastructure, and will be accompanied by a Heat Health Action Plan.”
AC debate
Soaring temperatures in the capital – combined with the ‘Urban Heat Island’ effect which makes London hotter than much of the rest of the country – have prompted calls to rethink the AC ban imposed by the government and Mayor of London in recent years.
Currently, the London Plan encourages new developments to adopt “passive” cooling measures – such as trees, green roofs and shading – rather than “active” measures, such as AC. Across the country, just five per cent of buildings currently have AC installed.
MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 23: Air conditioning units are seen on the exterior of apartment buildings as an early heatwave hits Europe on May 23, 2026 in Madrid, Spain
Getty
Earlier this week the Conservative Party pledged to overturn the ban, first introduced in planning regulations for new homes in 2021, to stop families “suffering unnecessarily” for the sake of reducing carbon emissions.
James Cowling, Managing Director of Next Gen Tories, a pressure group focused on helping the Conservative Party win young voters, told the LDRS: “The policies of both Reform and Labour revolve around rationing.
“Rather than doing the difficult work to get building and ensuring there’s abundance, they prefer to limit – be it homes, energy, or infrastructure.
“London is worst hit – with policy that make the cost of living eye-wateringly expensive.
“The knock on effects make our lives worse – like not having enough power for AC.”
The government was contacted for comment.
Last September, Samantha Dixon, the building safety minister, told MPs that air conditioning was “not a desirable or financially efficient solution due to the energy it consumes”.
In response to a written parliamentary question, she added: “Widespread reliance on mechanical cooling would place additional demand on the national grid, slowing the transition to a zero-carbon system and requiring further generation capacity.”
