Planning application granted retrospective consent

Derby City Centre

Case Study: Heritage support for planning application for replacement of windows at first floor (Retrospective Application)

LPA: Derby City Council

Overview: Weiser Heritage Consultancy is pleased to have received notice that Planning Permission has been granted on a retrospective application which we were appointed to provide heritage related planning support.

The application was submitted to address the unauthorised works carried out which involved the replacement of historic timber windows with eight UPVC windows. What was approved was replacing the unauthorised UPVC windows with new timber windows, to match what was removed.

The building is locally listed (building of merit) in the city centre conservation area and adjacent to numerous listed buildings. The application was live when WHC became involved and the client was granted an extension of time in order for the heritage impact assessment to be produced.

WHC Role: WHC was brought in by the architect to provide expert heritage advice for the existing planning application. Our involvement included a full site visit, collaboration with both the architect and the client, detailed review of the proposed drawings and providing a Heritage Impact Assessment report to accompany the application. Architectural and design guidance was offered and recommendations that would increase the opportunity that the application would be supported by officers. Our years of conservation and architectural/design experience proved invaluable.

Heritage Assessment: The building is thought to date from the 18th century as part of further development of the town centre. The upper floors appear to have retained their character and historic fabric- externally. The wider site includes the following heritage assets: the Cathedral Quarter Character Area, the City Centre Core Area, an Archaeological Alert Area, adjacent to Protected Shop Frontages, near to an important public open space and sits within an Historic Environment Record (HER). As a result, the site is heritage rich and consideration should be given to any proposals as to the impact on their setting and character.

Planning Policy & Public Benefit: The heritage impact assessment was prepared with careful reference to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and relevant local planning policies. The level of harm was assessed as less than substantial and justified by the public benefits delivered, including:

• Replacing UPVC windows in a sensitive city centre location with timber sash windows to match the removed windows.

Outcome: The conservation officer offered support for the retrospective application, citing the loss of the original timber windows was unfortunate.

Conclusion:  This project highlights the importance of collaboration and open dialogue when working on sensitive heritage assets. Our involvement helped inform the direction of the proposal and ensured that conservation principles remained at the forefront of decision-making.

Need Help with Your Listed Building or Planning Application?

Whether you’re an architect, homeowner, or developer, Weiser Heritage Consultancy provides expert and bespoke support for heritage related developments. Contact me for heritage planning advice, listed building consent application guidance, or conservation consultancy. We prefer to be involved as early as possible in order to ensure that heritage input is considered, however, no matter when we are asked to get involved, our support has been shown to be beneficial.