Agenda item

Report of Specialist Advisor (Planning).

The Group considered the report of the Specialist Advisor (Planning) regarding the window survey of properties on the seafront.

The report had been compiled at the request of the Group in order to establish a factual baseline for the prevalence of non-traditional windows along the seafront.

A survey was undertaken on a total of 66 properties. This area extended from the western boundary of the Town Centre and Seafront Conservation Area at South Cliff Avenue to the Langham Hotel, 43-49 Royal Parade. Appended to the report was a full survey of these properties including planning history and comments on the existing windows with pictures of the individual buildings.

Detailed in the report was an assessment of the degree of window alterations that had been made to traditional buildings within the survey area. Planning records for buildings with replica UPVC sash windows was also detailed in the report, along with key planning decisions made by the Council. This was considered to demonstrate a consistent view by the Council in supporting the retention of either timber sash windows or UPVC sliding sash replicas along the seafront. The Specialist Advisor (Planning) presented key appeal decisions from 1990 to 2014 relating to windows on the seafront and explained their significance in terms of future decision making by the Council, alongside the impact of recent changes in planning policy including the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

The survey concluded that there remained a clear pattern of traditional window design within the buildings along the seafront, with a significant majority of buildings retaining their original sash window design.

The Group expressed their thanks to the Specialist Advisor (Planning) for undertaking and producing the survey within a quick timeframe. The baseline data in the report was a material consideration in the determination of future planning and listed building consent applications along the seafront.

The Group suggested that moving forward officers develop information and guidance on window replacements to property owners and potential applicants to give greater clarity on the planning position regarding replacement windows. This information could also be made available on the Council’s website and may cover alternatives to UPVC, the benefits of restoring timber windows and the option of secondary glazing.

It was also suggested that a letter be sent to property owners along the seafront to remind them of the need to obtain planning permission before replacing windows, and to encourage the use of pre-application advice in the event that replacement windows are proposed. Officers agreed to consider the recommendations of the Group.

The Group discussed whether the choice of buildings that had been listed was consistent and whether other buildings along the seafront should be nominated for listing. The Specialist Advisor (Planning) stated that any buildings nominated for listed building status are considered by the Secretary of State and that officers can offer advice should a member of the Group wish to nominate a building for listing. The Group was advised that there were policies in the Eastbourne Townscape Guide specific to buildings of local interest that protected those that were currently not listed, such as the Grand Hotel.

NOTED.