In this month’s Onsite with Ade series, Adrian Barraclough, Chairman of Quickslide looks at tackling conservation areas and making the most of the opportunitoes they present.
For many general builders the tag ‘conservation area’ can mean a red light: do not proceed. However, walking away from these projects means missing out on profitable and regular work for firms willing to put the effort into understanding the rules.
Replacement windows and doors are often a bone of contention in such installations, with many local authority planning departments poorly informed about the latest window developments, that these days provide excellent replacements for conservation areas and for which the rules are pretty much down to interpretation by the local planners. For listed buildings the rules for window (and doors) are very clear, but those properties contained within conservation areas, can usually be fitted with modern replacement windows and doors that meet the approval of the rule makers. But there are still barriers to overcome.
Believe it or not there are around 10,000 conservation areas in England that require additional planning controls, restricting the amount of work you can do without planning permission. Even in less restricted conservation areas, the type, material, and design elements of products to be installed will need to be approved by the local authority. To replace the windows and doors, you must follow specific rules. As well as the usual Planning Permission, conservation areas are also covered by an ‘Article 4 directive’, which will differ from council to council.
Most owners of period properties will be committed to maintaining and enhancing the historic architectural elements of the property. However, they will also be only too aware of the disadvantages of living in such a place, in terms of comfort and maintenance. Where once this was a difficult balance to find with windows, now there are some excellent examples of period-style windows that closely replicate windows such as box sash vertical sliders and the ubiquitous flush sash.
Many homeowners are knowledgeable and understand what is broadly available to them. And slowly but surely, local authorities are beginning to understand that simply because a window is made of uPVC, that it is not the work of the devil. In fact, only a few months ago we got approval for a listed building project. It wasn’t easy – the homeowners had to submit a 28-page appeal and we supplied samples and supporting documents, but we got there in the end. This was important to Quickslide, as effectively it was a test case for us and, for the concept of high performance, authentic-looking heritage windows.
The latest vertical sliding sash and flush sash styles, when purchased from a quality fabricator, should be acceptable for any project in a conservation area. We recommend contacting your supplier for brochures and specification literature and perhaps even samples to submit to the council when applying for permission.
Generally, we believe that a VS is best with a woodgrain effect for it to retain the charm of the building though in an off white or traditional colour such as a cream or even very pale green. There are several heritage features that should be considered, including run-through sash horns, mechanical joints, slim midrail, heritage hardware and astragal bars. Flush sash windows in woodgrain with ETL (External Timber Look) joints have external contours to emulate the traditional sashes found on heritage timber windows.
As always, get the backing of a top-rate window and door fabricator to help you navigate what can seem like a maze, who will become supportive partners in any such project. Get it right once, and the repeat business in that area will make the effort very worthwhile indeed as word spreads.
For further information on Quickslide visit
