"Cottages plastic windows land BAA in hot water"

[CHRIS]

Headline in the local rag!

Stansted airport was pulled up by Uttlesford Council after SPAB alerted them to the fact that BAA had stuck some nasty windows in a building it owns in Broxted.

the phrase from Douglas Kent was "This is sheer vandalism and shows a blatant disregard for the law"

nice one SPAB - about time BAA sorted all the nasty work done on all their properties in the area and not just listed ones.

http://www.building.co.uk/story_attachment.asp?storycode=3093759&seq=3&type=P&c=1

 

[Flyfisher]

I suspect BAA regard any maintenance work as temporary on the basis that they expect to demolish the buildings if they get permission to expand. If the plans are not allowed then I'd expect them to sell the properties on. Either way, it's unlikely that an airport operator will be too interested in non-core property maintenance.

That's not to defend them for flouting any rules but there are bigger things at stake here.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Headline in the local rag!

Stansted airport was pulled up by Uttlesford Council after SPAB alerted them to the fact that BAA had stuck some nasty windows in a building it owns in Broxted.

the phrase from Douglas Kent was "This is sheer vandalism and shows a blatant disregard for the law"

nice one SPAB - about time BAA sorted all the nasty work done on all their properties in the area and not just listed ones.

http://www.building.co.uk/story_attachment.asp?storycode=3093759&seq=3&type=P&c=1

Douglas Kent, the SPAB technical secretary, said: “Putting plastic double-glazed windows into an old building is like dressing your great granny up in hot pants.

Hmmm... Great-Granny in hotpants?

Nemesis, are you there?

 

[CHRIS]

I drove past a few weeks ago and saw what had happened, I even stopped - backed up and had another look just to make sure I was not seeing things.

Nemesis must be swanning around the globe as I am sure she would have picked up on this!!!!

That should be quote of the year about the "hotpants" :shock:

 

[Flyfisher]

Douglas Kent, the SPAB technical secretary, said: “Putting plastic double-glazed windows into an old building is like dressing your great granny up in hot pants.

Except that hotpants have their place (oo-er missus) whereas I'm not sure that can be said for plastic windows. I've never seen any that look particularly good in any type of house, certainly no instances where wooden frames wouldn't look better.

 

[Nemesis]

I'm not a great granny - or even a granny - am able (when sober) to still dress myself - can recall hotpants first time around though. And very fetching I looked too.

If you call Wales swanning around the globe then yes I have been...

I note that the building in question was listed. Replacement without consent is of course illegal.

The BAA - owned by Ferrovial, a construction company based in Spain - maybe it thinks itself above English law.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrovial

 

[Flyfisher]

Who on earth would replace a nice tiled roof with that tatty old thatch? :wink:

 

[Nemesis]

Clearly not BAA Ltd - at least the thatch looks to have had some recent repair.


However, those windows do look awful, but then they always do (IMHO). Not that what they replaced were too historic, modernish timber when listed, but better than the placcy!

http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=1&id=122036

Picture shows a rather better view, 2002, including a very interesting part of the building not seen in the above view. It's presumably the original part with the two storey extensions later additions, or raised in height. The slated part seems shallower pitch as though built to be slated or tiled. These were possibly separate dwellings once, housing several families.

Speculation - would be interesting to delve further.