Replacing Windows In A Conservation Area

In general you do not need planning permission to replace windows in a conversation area such as within the Yorkshire Dales. However, it is strongly advisable to consult your local conservation officer.

Permission is required if the area has been designated an article 4 directive. This prevents window and door replacement without planning permission.

A Conservation Officer can provide helpful advice on the type and style of appropriate windows and can liaise with your glazing supplier to ensure an approved planning application.

Historically, when local authorities have encouraged or stipulated using traditional materials i.e. wood frames which allows for thin frames to support light, thin glazing.

Modern glazing tends to be thick and heavy requiring thick frames to support it. However, recent developments in aluminium now mean that this is no longer the case which makes replica aluminium with it’s associated benefits a viable alternative.

Alitherm Heritage have been used to replace windows in conservation areas such as:

• The Yorkshire Dales National Park
• North York Moors National Park
• Addingham, Baildon, Ilkley, Menston, Harrogate and Knaresborough (to name but a few)
• Ketton and Barnack near Stamford, Rutland, East Midlands

And Alitherm Heritage slim systems have already been approved for listed building projects by many councils which makes it likely although not guaranteed for approval in conservation areas. Councils include:

London Boroughs of Islington, Camden and Tower Hamlets, Watford Borough Council, Essex County Council and Leeds City Council as well as Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service.

According to Historic England (formally English Heritage) “window frames and glazing patterns which complement the building’s style, will be encouraged.”

“Quality is enduring, even though taste and fashion may change. The eye appreciates the aesthetic qualities of a place such as its scale, composition, silhouette, and proportions, and tells us whether the intervention fits comfortably in its context. Achieving quality always depends on the skill of the designer. The choice of appropriate materials, and the craftsmanship applied to their use, is particularly crucial to both durability and to maintaining the specific character of places.”