- Decision
- allowed, 17 August 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: Dr Rachael A Bust
- Authority
- Charnwood (East Midlands)
- Appeal reference
- 6008290
- Application reference
- P/25/2103/2
- Procedure
- householder
- Development
- Listed building consent to replace four first-floor timber windows with timber units using vacuum ("LandVac") heritage glazing
- Site context
- listed building setting, inside settlement
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- December 2024 NPPF (transitional)
- Determinative policies
- HE5(2)(b)
- Development plan policies
- Charnwood Local Plan 2021-2037 Core Strategy EV8, DS4
- Main issues
- listed building
Summary
Listed building consent was granted for replacement first-floor windows in a grade II cottage, using vacuum heritage glazing with bonded glazing bars and timber beads. The changes "would only be discernible at close quarters" and would have "a neutral effect" (DL ¶¶13–14), so special interest was preserved.
What made the difference
The existing windows were agreed to be beyond repair, and the modern detailing closely replicated the originals on small, set-back first-floor windows. The letter was issued on the day of publication. It refers to the Framework's "chapter 16 on conserving and enhancing the historic environment" (DL ¶16), which is the 2024 chapter numbering, and it does not engage with HE6(4)'s new express reference to energy efficiency as a public benefit.
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| HE5(2)(b) | pass | bonded glazing bars and flat timber bead only discernible at close quarters; "neutral effect" (DL 12-14) |
Key facts
- Late C16/early C17 grade II timber-framed cottage; existing windows decayed and beyond repair (agreed)
- Dispute only on bonded glazing bars and timber beads vs run-through bars and putty
- Vacuum glazing accepted as replicating single glazing while improving thermal performance
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.