Inconsistencies with Listed Building Consent

[LCB@3HP]

I would like to ask if anyone else has been in this position and what you did to resolve the issue.

I moved into a Grade II listed cottage last December 2024 knowing there was extensive renovation work needed to bring the old place back to life.

I applied straight away to replace 5 windows at the back of the house and two at the front. A local window company drew up plans to make the windows from accoya wood. The rotten windows we were replacing were not the original ones (the house was built in 1667) and already double glazed so this was allowed. I believed the kitchen French casement window in the kitchen to be the oldest one in the house so we modelled the design of the replacements on this. I am sure I was a pain to the company making the windows as I wanted to make sure the hardware and design were as sympathetic to the house as possible. Listed buildings consent was granted in February 2025 and we had the windows fitted in May 2025.

Over the summer we realised that the remaining 6 windows on the front of the house are in a worse state than we had hoped and so applied for Listed Buildings Consent to replace these in September 2025.

This time permission has been pushed back for exactly the same windows as was permitted in February 2025. I have asked the planning case worker why there has been a change between February and September 2025 this year and was told this is a different Heritage Officer who has different rules. I was given three weeks to draw up new plans for the type of windows he was requesting but spent this trying to appeal to the council about how and why this would happen. I got no discussion from them and they rejected my plans.

This is quite frustrating as we are half way through a renovation, have been trying to do the right thing, and would ideally have liked to have got it right for all the windows on the house. I now am not sure what that would be and who is responsible for putting it right

If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it.

Thank you

 

[Mulder]

If the front aspect is more prominent or visible from a road, they may be more sensitive to the design.
What was their reason for rejection?

Are the existing front windows the same design as the rear ones? How different are the proposed windows from the existing?

Did you do the LBC yourself or with professional help?

They usually need some sort of justification for changes.

How sympathetic has the rest of your renovations been if viewed through the lens of a history buff who prizes authenticity above all else? Is it possible you have lost a bit of the character with some of the other renovations and this is the LBC Officer's gentle way of damping your enthusiasm. It sounds silly and frustrating, especially if your only doing the right thing for your forever home, but it is kind of their job to step in when they see historical characteristics being lost.

Alternatively, might just be a bad apple. You could redesign them subtly and resubmit.

 

[LCB@3HP]

Hi M
Thank you for your support.
Two of the windows already approved are at the front of the house.
None of the existing windows were consistent or original so I based the design for all of them on the kitchen window as I believed this to be the oldest on the house.
I did the LBC myself with pro help from the window company and stone mason.
The justification for change was that they were rotten beyond repair and I was trying to make them more like what would've been there originally (once glazing had been introduced, not mullions with oil cloth hung at the openings as in 1667).
The rest of the renovations so far have been strip back, restore and repair, getting the building dry, safeguarding against woodworm, damp and rot, replacing guttering, repairing the roof etc. Nothing different to what was there. My aim is to put back any character that's been lost in the past and showcase the exposed wood and stonework.

I don't think anyone's a bad apple just not sure how to move forward when the rules have changed half way through.
I thought I was doing the right thing but am now doubting every decision.
I have posted on here so that I can gather info and advice before re submitting plans or appealing so that I can be confident that what I'm asking for is going to enhance the character of the property for years to come.

 

[Mulder]

Lovely house. Some very interesting brick work and masonry going on there that show how it must have changed over the years. However, those upstairs windows are quite a feature with the detailing.
I can see why they may be sensitive about those, even if they are not 'original 1667', preferring restoration over replacement.

As for the lower windows, they are quite different to the rear fixture so I can see why a like-for-like duplication may be challenged.

What changes did the LBC officer suggest and what was their objection?
I'm assuming they weren't happy with a 2 light casement and wanted something smaller? Maybe leaded?

If you plan to appeal or challenge them, you need to have a compelling case. Use neighbouring properties as precedents and any evidence you have as to the significance of the existing units. You will need to convince them they are not original fixtures.

 

[montyjohn]

I'm not too surprised you got pushed back here.
Those upper windows are lovely, and replacing them with what you have in the kitchen, whilst consistent with the rest of the house would the loss of a beautiful historic feature. I'm not saying it's not a lovely new window in the kitchen, just that it doesn't have the features of what you'll be losing.
The features on those upper windows look pretty special.

What is the reason for replacing them?

You state:

Over the summer we realised that the remaining 6 windows on the front of the house are in a worse state than we had hoped

Does this mean they are beyond repair? If they weren't obviously rotten through, it sounds like some replacement timber could restore them.

If they can be repaired then this may be what would be expected in this case.

It's amazing how bad a window can be and still be repaired. It's cheaper too and prevents loss of historic features.

Are those upper windows double glazed which would suggest they are modern?

 

[Stevers]

Those upper windows are lovely

Perhaps the photo doesn't do them justice, but my impression is that those are of a form that can only be a modern replacement window, no doubt aping what was there before.