Conservation Area & replacement windows

G_M

Is planning consent required for replacement upvc windows in a conservation area (in addition to Building regs)?


Or does it vary by CA?

EachPenny

G_M wrote: »

Is planning consent required for replacement upvc windows in a conservation area (in addition to Building regs)?

Is it like-for-like replacement of uPVC windows, or replacing some other kind of windows with uPVC?

In the latter case then consent is very likely to be required, but it ultimately depends on the specific wording of the designation/direction applying to that area.

In the former case it might be permissible as maintenance, but personally I'd check the proposals with the planning department to make sure. Having to rip out brand new windows and replace them with a slightly different design of new window could be a costly mistake.

G_M

I'm assuming they replaced original wooden framed windows (or which 2 remain).


It's a property being purchased which already has the upvc replacements (FENSA dated 2010) but with no record of planning.


I know plannning contraventions are rarely enforced after that long, but assuming it should have had planning consent, is enforcement more likely in a CA?

bouicca21

At one stage I rented a flat in an Edwardian conversion in a CA. One flat had put in uPCV Windows that were hideously out of keeping with the building and the rest of the CA. No attempt to enforce whatsoever.

starving_artist

Might have been done before it became a CA.

Davesnave

When castigating my BiL for installing UPVC in his village CA barn conversion, the officer pointed and said "That is the sort of window which is in keeping here."

BiL didn't like to tell him it was his father's house being pointed at, and the windows were just a different UPVC design.


As far as I know, BiL got away with the windows, but he was forced to remove something else that really was part of the local building vernacular.


It's a lottery.

bouicca21

But surely uPVC that is in keeping with originals is ok, whereas something that screams cheap late 20th century on a beautiful pre 1914 building most definitely isn't.

Starbrite

Depends on the council, my Nan lived in a CA long before it was a CA area. When it came to replacing her windows we had to a supplier of the councils preferred list and get approval before hand

justjohn

In Scotland it depends on the council(think England is the same). You need too find the rules for your area.

G_M

Thanks all.
One issue that 2 of the original wooden single-glazed windows were not changed for some reason.

I could change them to match the other modernised windows, or replace with a more sympathetic wooden doubleglaze meaning they don't match.

Eitherway, applying to the council (which I have to do anyway for other changs) means the property will be brought to the council's attention, possibly triggering action....


Can't find a Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Strategy document for the area on their website but have emailed requesting.

jamesperrett

We had real problems when buying a house in a conservation area which had been split into two where the windows in the other half had been replaced with UPVC. As the two parts of the property hadn't been separated out at the time, the council slapped an enforcement notice on the whole property and we could not persuade them to remove the enforcement notice on the part we were buying. Eventually we had to 'take a view' and decide that it was unlikely they would come after us.

The council never actually enforced the notice as far as we know but the next owner of the next door property paid less for it than he would have if there had been no notice and, fortunately, installed more suitable windows so by the time we came to sell there were no problems.