A landlord has been ordered by his local council to remove energy efficient triple glazed windows installed at a cost of some £10,000.
The council’s action has even made the BBC News which reports that Mike West replaced single-glazed sliding sash windows with UPVC triple-glazed ones while renovating his Victorian house in Southsea, Portsmouth.
Now, West fears he will be unable to rent out his property due to its EPC rating falling from C to potentially Band E if single-glazed windows are restored.
The government has said it wants private rental homes to be a minimum Band C by 2030, with few permitted exceptions.
But Portsmouth council ordered the return of the original windows due to the house being in a conservation area, claiming "erosion" of the area's heritage was unacceptable.
West says: “We put in triple glazing. It's very energy efficient and also very comfortable for the tenants.
"We're not conservation cowboys... anybody walking casually up and down the street would not notice the difference."
You can see the full BBC story here.
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Here we go , part of the great reset
Coming in 2030 B minimum , that means 90% of uk property is finished ..
Can't sell or rent your property ? The govt will take it off your hands - for nothing
You'll own nothing and they'll be happy ...
I cannot believe that to ever be true!!!!!!
Way, wayt too many Westmonster and Concil Members will lose their multipe houses!!!!!!!
Cannot happen.
Just another example of the contradictory policies LLs have to contend with!
If you live in a conservation area it is your responsibility to inform the Council. I would guess he would have needed to put secondary glazing in, though not as user friendly for the tenant.
Incidentally if he had replaced just the rear windows he would have achieved his EPC grade and i am sure the Council will only want him to replace the front windows.
Speak to an EPC assessor whom can advise what you need to do to get the best rating. Apparently put one triple glazed window in and that is what your rating will be based on. Told this just last week by an assessor, whom assessed a property that I am selling. Mad I know but you can play within the rules.
A few years ago, I came across a similar problem. The chap from Stockport Council was very nice. He advised me to put the opening of the windows right in the middle. So, you have the same windows (not sach) but looking like sash from outside. Its always wise, to check with the local authorities, before changing the windows.
We wanted to upgrade my windows (already UPVc) in a conservation area and put in a new (coloured) door. We asked if we need to apply for planning permission as loads of others in the same street had changes and had no planning permission. The Council said they hadn't got the resources to challenge offenders but now we had alerted us to the fact we were going to do it they would check up on us!
They are always complaining about LL’s not upgrading the Property. This gentleman has done it at his own expense & gone the extra mile to make it better with triple glazing. I can see nothing wrong with the appearance of the windows with the same proportions & divisions as original. They are bog standard bay windows in a 4 storey Victorian Terraced type house, not much heritage to be damaged there.
Looking at the monstrous carbuncles that are most council offices I feel a bit of pot calling the kettle black here
Filled with lefty weak minded dummies who’ll never own a house and are filled with jealousy and hatred for people who achieve something in life and don’t have a job re arranging paper clips and running around doing naff all and paid a small fortune for it
/rant over
Typical incompetent morons from the council targeting landlords.
I thought we’d had brexit , why are we still adhering to European standards ?
Ever get the feeling you’ve been conned ?
Ferrey I agree looking like a sash window, yes a bigger one at the bottom to open probably additional opener to double as fire escape with fire escape hinges. I have a house in a Conservation Area but I am only in it in the last 20m of a 400m road so everyone else can do almost anything but I had 5 refusals including 2 Ministry Appeals and one returned under section 70a not that it matters a carrot to me it’s their loss.
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