Are You Taking Advantage of the Install Opportunities in Conservation Areas?
What is a Conservation Area?
There are over 9,700 conservation areas in the UK. They are designated by the local, regional and national government as an ‘area of special architectural or historical interest. The appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’ and are legally protected under the Listed Building and Conservation Areas Act (1990). But what does this mean for windows?
The Regulations
Under the Conservation Act, ‘no person shall execute or cause to be executed any works for the demolition of a listed building, or for its alteration or extension in any manner which would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest unless the works are authorised’. Permission no longer lies with the homeowner for alteration in the same way it does with a standard property. It lies with the authorities.
This can be frustrating for all concerned. And many window installers may just walk away at the mention of the word ‘conservation’. But need they?
Making Changes
If you are looking to make significant changes to the window’s style, permissions can be granted for alterations by the local authorities under some circumstances. Replacing timber windows with new timber windows may seem like the obvious answer to the homeowner. But this comes at a tremendous amount of expense. Followed by ongoing maintenance for them. And timber windows and doors will inevitably need replacing again unless this maintenance is kept up.
The Solution
Under The Conservation Act, Article 4, states that if the replacement window is in keeping with the building, Local Authority permission should be granted. This is where our Residence Collection windows and doors come in. Which have been specifically designed to replicate period designs in conservation areas.
The profile width, frets, period colours, furniture and realistic wood-grain finish recreates the look of Georgian & Victorian wooden windows – add to this the butt-joint effect created by the Timberweld® fabricating process and you have something hard to differentiate from a timber window. The significant differences are those that can’t be seen. This includes high security, excellent thermal and acoustic insulation and they are virtually maintenance-free.
Conservation areas should be seen as an opportunity as there is a surprisingly simple solution to addressing the regulations surrounding them. The wide range of design options available with Residence Collection windows means that just about every circumstance is catered for when fitting within conservation areas. In many cases, they are even pre-approved for listed building use. The next enquiry you receive about conservation area windows, remember Timberweld® Residence Collection from HWL.
Wanting a quote? Call us on 0113 244 9006 or email us at sales@hwlwindows.co.uk
Alternatively, visit our website – www.hwlwindows.co.uk