Like for like or like what may have been fitted.....

[nigel57]

Hi and I'd appreciate the panel's advice on a listed building consent issue please.

I have an old stone house which has evolved over the years. The oldest part was probably a simple one up, one down cottage which was extended to cover an old well (I've been advised that the well is medieval). In Victorian times another section was added to house a shop on the ground floor and I'd guess either stockroom or bedroom above. Traces are still evident of where the shop door and large display window were. Nowadays the ground floor room now has two windows:

1) A three casement window with two opening each having eight panes of glass (the general style of this windows matches that in the older parts of the house) and
2) A three casement window which has three, two pane, fanlights (CO refers to them as 'top hoppers') above three fixed casements each housing four panes of glass. This window was fitted at some point in the past into where the display window was with signs that the size of the opening was reduced.

Due to their poor condition both of these windows need to be replaced.

The CO has been very supportive of the renovation work I've undertaken but has surprised me with regards to window (2) above.

Rather than agreeing to my replacing it like for like they have asked me to replace it with one in keeping with the remainder of the house, namely, a three casement window with two opening each having eight panes of glass.

This I find a bit perplexing because I can't see any justification for changing the appearance from what it was at the point of listing and I've already sourced a like for like replacement so am not keen on having to re-engineer this.

Does the panel have any experience of dealing with sweeping away clear historic evidence and replacing it with some sort of what it might have been like please?

Thanks,

Nigel.

 

[Flyfisher]

I've always understood that a like-for-like repair does not require LBC (though be careful it really is like-for-like!). I assume your CO has good reason for asking you to replace it with a different style but the key word is 'asking', because I don't believe they can insist. It would be interesting to know the details of the COs justification.

 

[MatthewC]

As I understand it, you do not need LBC for a like for like replacement, but you do need it if you want to replace (say) a uPVC window fitted illegally with something appropriate. They sometimes seem to want to have it both ways. They can ask you to do something as FF says but if you say "I have already bought a genuine identical like for like replacement", they can't stop you doing it (so long as it really is like for like) - and in fact you don't even have to tell them (I probably wouldn't).

I replaced my front door with an expensive specially made like for like replacement; when my architect mentioned it on a subsequent application for LBC, they then gave me retrospective permission which I didn't need! :roll:

 

[nigel57]

Thank you the comments. I've responded to the CO declining the suggestion and now I wait......

Nigel.