PTN 07,February 2024

Town Council Vote No to Penrith House Installing Two uPVC windows

Penrith Town Council members at the councils planning committee held on Monday were asked to consider a planning application for the installation of two small uPVC windows on the upper floor side wall of a house located on Arthur Street in Penrith.

The application was submitted to Westmorland and Furness Council in December for Listed Building Consent for the replacement of two single glazed timber windows with double glazed uPVC windows in the same style on gable elevation of the property.

Town council members at the planning committee meeting on Monday voted unanimously to object to the application saying “The application does not protect or enhance the significance of the Grade II listed building.”

Town council members in the meeting said that the property is also located in the towns conservation area as well as been a grade II listed building.

Westmorland and Furness Council have recently said “As there is no article 4 Direction in place in Penrith Conservation Area, and the installed window fit the permitted development right condition of being 'of similar appearance', our opinion is that planning permission is not required for the replacement windows.”

Historic England have said the grade 2 listing of the property and the two neighbouring properties covers the sandstone frontage and Moulded stone eaves on brackets. Hollow-chamfered stone doorways with round-arche, along with the panelled doors and delicately traceried fanlights and the sash windows at the front of the properties.

The gable end windows the application covers are classed as part of the wider property curtilage.

Westmorland and Furness Council are themselves facing issues around carrying out work on the curtilage of a listed building without applying for or having granted listed building consent to carry out the work and the council has faced legal challenge in Alston recently over refusal to grant permission to install uPVC windows in similar grade 2 listed property.

Cllr Knaggs said “they are such small windows will it really cost that much difference to replace in wood”. Before proposing the town council object to the application with Cllr Snell seconding the proposal to object to the installation of two small uPVC windows in the top floor gable end of the Arthur Street property. Five councillors at the meeting voted to object with only Cllr Holden abstaining from voting.