Tuesday September 6th 2022
The house on Gullane’s Hopetoun Terrace.
A homeowner’s bid to replace his front windows have been rejected – despite being allowed to replace the rear windows seven years ago.
The owner of the house on Gullane’s Hopetoun Terrace had applied for planning permission to replace seven front windows and a front door using uPVC frames.
However East Lothian Council planners ruled allowing the change would set a precedent which they said over time could impact the character of the entire street.
And the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland objected to the use of the plastic frames.
In a report on the planning application, the society said the window frames “would neither preserve, or enhance, the special architectural or historic character of this part of the Gullane conservation area.”
The report revealed that the homeowner had been granted permission to replace the rear windows of the house in 2015 using uPVC but that the house was in a prominent position in the conservation area.
At the time the rear windows were allowed because they were not readily seen from the road.
However officers said the front windows are visible from the terrace and they described proposals to mimic the timber and sash frames with uPVC ‘plant-ons’ as ‘contrived and unauthentic’
And they said plans to replace the front wooden door with the use of a composite Glass Reinforced Plastic (GP) would also harm the character of the building.
Refusing planning permission they said: “If approved the proposed replacement front windows and entrance door would set an undesirable precedent for the installation of similarly designed uPVC framed windows and composite doors within front elevations of other houses within this part of the streetscape.
“Over time such change would be collectively out of keeping with, and detrimental to, the character and appearance of this part of the Gullane Conservation Area.”
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