My grandson is a part freeholder and part lease holder of a listed building. Within one month of taking occupancy he received a letter from the local Enforcement Officer stating it had just come to the Councils notice that UPVC windows have been installed and that he must make planning application for which there is a charge and listed build application for which there is no charge to reinstate the original sash windows.
I have researched the planning history of the building and find the building is not original although it does retain some original features of stone work to the front facade. The building was in a row of terraced houses some of which were destroyed by world war 2 bombs leaving my grandsons house as a part structure with no window frames. The house was rebuilt to half its original size with whatever material and window frames was available in those austere times.The council have no records of the rebuild and no records can be found in archives. The house was listed in 1974 grouped as a terrace of houses with very, very vague description that could apply to some of the houses not all.
I have become aware of the laws appertaining to graded buildings and that there is no time limit for a council to issue notices in respect of unlawful development when it is brought to their attention, but I have been unable to find out if there is a law or code of practice that causes a council to act within a certain time limit of knowing about a unlawful development. I have found by examining council files in front of a witness and supervised by a council worker, the council have known about the UPVC windows for 20-years and failed to take action against the then owner. Any comments would be welcome.
I have researched the planning history of the building and find the building is not original although it does retain some original features of stone work to the front facade. The building was in a row of terraced houses some of which were destroyed by world war 2 bombs leaving my grandsons house as a part structure with no window frames. The house was rebuilt to half its original size with whatever material and window frames was available in those austere times.The council have no records of the rebuild and no records can be found in archives. The house was listed in 1974 grouped as a terrace of houses with very, very vague description that could apply to some of the houses not all.
I have become aware of the laws appertaining to graded buildings and that there is no time limit for a council to issue notices in respect of unlawful development when it is brought to their attention, but I have been unable to find out if there is a law or code of practice that causes a council to act within a certain time limit of knowing about a unlawful development. I have found by examining council files in front of a witness and supervised by a council worker, the council have known about the UPVC windows for 20-years and failed to take action against the then owner. Any comments would be welcome.