- Decision
- allowed, 3 September 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: Martin Seaton (on recommendation of appeal planning officer J Kirkaldy)
- Authority
- Folkestone and Hythe (South East)
- Appeal reference
- 6009762
- Application reference
- 25/1555/FH
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Replacement of 9 timber windows (4 retrospective) with uPVC at second floor and attic
- Site context
- inside settlement, conservation area
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- HE9
- Development plan policies
- Folkestone and Hythe Places and Policies Local Plan 2020 HB1, HB8
- Main issues
- conservation area
Summary
uPVC windows at second-floor and attic level of a Folkestone conservation-area building were allowed, with detailed specifications by condition. They are seen only from a distance, among existing uPVC (DL ¶12-13). The inspector found a neutral effect, so no HE6 balance was needed (DL ¶17).
What made the difference
The low visibility of the upper-floor windows, and uPVC already on the property. Once no harm is found, a less harmful alternative does not count against the scheme (DL ¶15); contrast PINS-6008669, where harm was found and the timber alternative decided the case.
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| HE6(1) | neutral | upper-floor windows seen from a distance; details by condition; neutral effect on the CA, so no public-benefit balance (DL 9-17) |
Key facts
- Existing uPVC windows at the property (2009 permission) and in the street (DL 3, 11)
- Availability of a double-glazed timber alternative "does not mean as a prerequisite" that the proposal is unacceptable (DL 15)
- Letter cites "Policy HE6:5" for the public-benefit balance and says "no substantial harm" (DL 9, 17)
Related decisions
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.