Conservation area windows

[Gazman16]

Hi guys
Just a lowly window fitter here with some questions for a customer.

A couple of years ago a customer of mine managed to get planning permission (on appeal) to replace his sliding sash windows for PVC replicas in our town center.
The only stipulation was that we had to use white woodgrain PVC.
The building was one large flat/maisonette (not sure of the correct technical term) above several shops.

Now the guy who owns the building over the road wants me to do the same thing but the planning department have turned him down.
Only differences are the building is above 1 shop rather than 3, And its 6 flats rather than one.
He owns the whole building and plans to do all the flats windows at the same time.

Unfortunately the planning consultant who argued the case last time has now retired and no one else around here seems willing to argue with the local planning department.

From the outside you really cant tell the difference on the building we have already done, Surely they have set some kind of precedent by allowing it over the road?

I attach a pic of the building we have done

 

[Nakajo]

I think you have a very good case for an appeal. Just submit this evidence to the Planning Inspectorate and sit back and wait.... and wait

 

[tony1851]

.........and wait. Last time I hear it was 6-9 months.
Officials know nothing and care even less about business.

 

[Gazman16]

Thanks guys.
I know rules for flats can be a bit odd and was wondering if they had classed the building we have done as some sort of house/maisonette with different rules?

The owner being a landlord has been told he has 2 years to improve the thermal insulation of the building. We could do secondary glazing if we have too but spring balanced secondary is more expensive than new windows (materials wise) and he would still have the ongoing maintenance costs

 

[wessex101]

Now the guy who owns the building over the road wants me to do the same thing but the planning department have turned him down.
Only differences are the building is above 1 shop rather than 3, And its 6 flats rather than one.
He owns the whole building and plans to do all the flats windows at the same time.

Unfortunately the planning consultant who argued the case last time has now retired and no one else around here seems willing to argue with the local planning department.

There are no planning consultants in Somerset who will handle an appeal? How strange. The guy owns a large building with a shop and 6 flats, I'm sure he can afford to pay for planning advice.

 

[^woody^]

Windows are permitted development on houses, but for other buildings even if flats that look like houses, then planning permission is required.

Generally, unless in some sort of special area (conservation or historic) councils tend to allow replacements that have a similar appearance to the existing, even if not exactly the same materials. And often they have a specific quick process for this, rather than the full application rigmarole.

There are no precedents in planning, and just because something was allowed on one building, does not mean the same thing will be acceptable on another. However, there is the argument that if it looks OK then why should it not look OK on another building. It's just a process of constructing a viable argument on why the new windows won't be any real difference to the old ones. The better thermal and sound qualities of plastic frames, and the saving the planet angle and low carbon footprints etc are valid planning concerns.

 

[Gazman16]

There are no planning consultants in Somerset who will handle an appeal? How strange. The guy owns a large building with a shop and 6 flats, I'm sure he can afford to pay for planning advice.

I haven't tried further afield than our town, Always try to use local company's where possible.
The couple of consultants that are still operating in our town don't seem to like to get on the wrong side of the planning people, They don't like to argue the case and take the line of least resistance.


To be honest the planning people down this way are a bit of a pane in the butt in my experience, I am the most easy going guy in the world but I have fallen out with them on several occasions.
They are the only people who seem capable of making me lose my cool lol.
They seem to make it up as they go along and completely ignore facts even if you print it out and put it right in front of them. So I just avoid dealing with them myself now.

 

[wessex101]

I haven't tried further afield than our town, Always try to use local company's where possible.
The couple of consultants that are still operating in our town don't seem to like to get on the wrong side of the planning people, They don't like to argue the case and take the line of least resistance.


To be honest the planning people down this way are a bit of a pane in the butt in my experience, I am the most easy going guy in the world but I have fallen out with them on several occasions.
They are the only people who seem capable of making me lose my cool lol.
They seem to make it up as they go along and completely ignore facts even if you print it out and put it right in front of them. So I just avoid dealing with them myself now.

Search a bit further afield then, there must be firms in Yeovil, Taunton or Bridgewater, failing that look outside the county. It sounds like a very straightforward case so anyone with experience of making successful appeals should be able to handle it. Christ, even I can do it, it's not rocket science.

 

[Nakajo]

You have the precedent of the previous appeal, so this essentially just a copy-paste (ideally, with the permission of the retired chap), and with an extra bit about the fact that this has been previously approved on appeal at the site opposite. I'm sure you can do this yourself. You might lose, but hiring a professional in this instance is going to make very little difference in my opinion. (That said, my preference would be for timber sashes, and wavy glass externally).

 

[Leofric]

(That said, my preference would be for timber sashes, and wavy glass externally). - wavy glass

Read more: https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/conservation-area-windows.518083/#ixzz5fMijY8kb

 

[Leofric]

The couple of consultants that are still operating in our town don't seem to like to get on the wrong side of the planning people, They don't like to argue the case and take the line of least resistance. - can't be much of a planning consultant that doesn't like to argue a case.


Read more: https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/conservation-area-windows.518083/#ixzz5fMjCWCbv

 

[Nakajo]

Yes - like Histoglass(I imagine there are others)