Brighton listed building owner told to remove plastic frames and windows
The owner of a listed building in Brighton has been ordered to replace plastic window and door frames with timber.
The move comes after the owner lost a planning appeal.
An independent government planning inspector agreed with the verdict of Brighton and Hove City Council planners on the window and door frames fitted to 1 Wyndham Street.
The property, in the East Cliff Conservation area, sits between two other listed buildings, and had been converted into two homes.
Planning permission was required to removal the original windows and replace them with plastic ones.
The owners now have three months in which to
- Remove all the plastic windows from the outside of the property
- Remove all the plastic doors from the outside of the property
- Remove the plastic gate fronting Wyndham Street at the side of the property
- Remove all resultant debris
In his report, the planning inspector said that “although the windows gave the house a uniform appearance, this effect could have been achieved by using timber windows of similar design”.
He added: “In my opinion the replacement windows and new doors fail to preserve the character and appearance of the East Cliff Conservation Area and they impact adversely on the setting of the nearby listed buildings.”
Councillor Christopher Hawtree, chairman of the council’s planning committee, said: “We are pleased that the planning inspector has upheld our decision and that these plastic windows will now be replaced with more appropriate wooden ones.
“Local residents have expressed their delight with this decision and the work carried out by our officers.
“I would encourage the owners to now work with officers to ensure that the replacement windows are acceptable and installed without any further delay.”
He added that anyone with a property in a conservation area should always seek the planning team’s advice before making alterations.
