Recently, Ian Jack wrote a piece in the Guardian - titled ‘Beware the Double Glazing Salesman’ postulating that the biggest threat to conservation areas is not new development, it’s PVC windows (or indeed perhaps PVC double glazing salesman).

The conservation movement back in the UK way back in 1877, when William Morris founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. Initially the conservation movement was primarily concerned with protecting the heritage of cathedrals, churches, large country manor houses and so on.

However in 1968, the creation of conservation areas began touching the lives of us everyday folk, when some Victorian terraced homes also became protected.

England alone has 9,300 conservation areas, of which English Heritage claim one in seven are ‘at risk’.

At risk of what?

Well, essentially conservation areas are created to preserve the distinctive character of the locality, mainly via protecting the existing architectural features of the buildings.

Seemingly, in many areas the conservation rules are ignored, and the local authorities are either unwilling, or unable to step in to try to enforce them.

According to English Heritage the biggest threat to conservation areas is ‘unsympathetic’ replacement windows and doors. The Government’s English House Condition Survey seemingly backs this assertion as they found that 40% of houses built in the last half of the 19th century has replaced their wooden sash windows with PVC double glazing by 2006.

Now, whilst we wouldn’t dispute that indeed double glazing has increased in popularity, it seems to me to be a massive leap to blame double glazing, and indeed double glazing salesman for what is essentially a failing in local authorities to enforce these conservation rules.

At SEHBAC we believe that replacement double glazing should be sympathetic to the character of a home. It should enhance rather than detract from the house’s appearance. In any given part of the country there are of course examples of poorly selected double glazed windows which do not complement the character and style of the original structure.

However, we resent the notion that all double glazing suppliers are out to sell ugly windows which spoil the appearance of protected architecture. Our business certainly would not have succeeded for past 38 years if that was our raison d’etre.

We offer a wide range of double glazed windows in a variety of styles, and indeed in a variety of materials.

We’re not alone.

There are many other reputable companies out there like us who offer homeowners the opportunity to install modern double glazing, with all of the associated benefits - improved security, savings on heating bills, etc, without compromising on how their home looks.

It’s seems to us to be both a gross generalisation, and indeed pretty sensationalist journalism from what is supposed to be a ‘quality’ newspaper.

How much do you know about energy saving?

Test yourself with the Big Green Switch’s Energy Saving Quiz:

I managed to get a fairly respectable 8/10. I don’t want to spoil the quiz for anyone else, but let’s just say I was shocked at how much money could be saved per year if home appliances weren’t left on standby!

Poor Sir Cliff Richard!

The 68 year old singer’s local council have demanded that his conservatory (which cost more than £30,0000) must be demolished.

Why?

Well it seems that he neglected to seek planning permission for the conservatory, and as such it should never have been built.

Sadly, it seems he was unaware that he needed to seek planning permission, until he decided to sell his home. Although he has tried to apply for retrospective planning permission, this application was rejected.

To be fair to Cliff, this does seem to be a somewhat unusual case.

Cliff demolished the bungalow which was originally on the site, and elected to build a brand new home. At the time he was told quite clearly, the maximum size that it could be.

It seems that the original build complied to these guidelines. However, when Cliff later decided to add a conservatory to the property - this took the size of the property over the maximum size allowed.

However, at the time the conservatory was built, a homeowner would not need to seek planning permission as long as the cumulative floor area does not increase by more than 30%.

It looks like Cliff might have a bit of a battle on his hands.

So, how can you avoid getting into a similar situation?

First and foremost, remember that ultimately it is your responsibility as the homeowner to ensure that appropriate planning permissions are granted prior to any work being undertaken. That said, a reputable conservatory company should be able to advise you on what you need planning permission for, and what you do not.

New planning permission guidelines came into affect in October of last year. Interestingly, as you’ll see below, the maximum volume restriction (i.e. the cumulative floor area must not increase by more than 30%) is now no longer applicable.

Broadly speaking, if your conservatory conforms to the guidelines below, you do not need planning permission - however, there may be some exceptions, and if you’re not sure, it may be best to check before proceeding.

Typically planning permission is not required as long as:

1. Your conservatory is not at the front or side of your home if this faces a public highway.
2. If your conservatory is at the rear of your property, the maximum depth should be three metres for an attached house and four metres for a detached house.
3. If your conservatory is at the side of your property it must be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the original house.
4. If your conservatory is within two metres of the boundary line, then the maximum eaves height should not exceed three metres.
5. No verandas, balconies or raised platforms form part of your conservatory’s development.
6. No more than half the area of land around the “original house” should be covered by your conservatory.
7. Maximum height of a conservatory at the rear of your property should not exceed four metres.

If you’re interested in a new conservatory, then of course we’d be happy to help. Check out our range of conservatories, or pop into one of our show centres to talk through the options with our staff.

Image credit eggybird

This week, the Daily Mail reported that Government advisers are suggesting that householders who do not take steps to make their homes greener should face higher council tax and stamp duty.

Those homeowners who do not have either double glazing or insulation would be hammered under the new proposals which are currently being considered by ministers. These proposal were drawn up by an environmental pressure group.

The pressure group would like to see ‘green mortgages’ under which homeowners can apply for loans to make energy efficiency improvements to their home. Improvements might include double glazing, new boilers, solar panels, insulation and so on. However, in addition to this, they would also like to see punishments handed out to those who elect not to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

Ed Milliband (Climate Change Secretary) is expected to welcome the plans for ‘green mortgages’, but will not make any announcement with regard to the potential penalties until later this year.

John Adams (who put together the proposals) said that the ‘green mortgages’ would be unlikely to take off unless the penalties were also implemented, saying that a ‘carrot and stick’ approach needs to be employed.

These penalties could take the form of higher council tax rates and higher stamp duty which could put off potential buyers as and when homeowners elect to sell their homes.

Matthew Sinclair (from the Tax Payers’ Alliance) said:

“It is absolutely shocking that the Government is still threatening new bogus green taxes when taxpayers are already paying a fortune in higher prices for their electricity, gas and petrol thanks to ineffective global warming policies… There is no need for these new taxes that will punish people already paying a heavy price for the Government’s clumsy and failing energy agenda.”

The aim of the ‘green mortgage’ plan is to make repayments so small, that they would be outrstripped by the savings on energy bills - meaning that homeowners will actually save money by taking out the loans.

Officials have calculated that a typical Victorian end of terrace house would spend £10,280 on energy saving measures. This would lead to repayments of £514 per year. However as the energy savings would amount to £802 per year, homeowners would actually make a profit of £288 per year.

Here at SEHBAC we welcome the ‘green mortgage’ scheme as we believe it will make energy efficiency measures within the grasp of far more homeowners. However, we feel that the potential penalties for those who elect not to make these improvements are unfair; particularly as whilst some will be keen to take out loans to make these improvements, the chances are that there will still be many who are unwilling (or indeed unable) to go into debt.

It should be noted that whilst Ed Milliband is expected to back the proposals for green mortgages, he will not make any announcement on the potential stamp duty and council tax penalties until the Autumn. We’ll be watching with interest to see how this all progresses, and of course will provide updates here.

Image credit L’Enfant Terrible

Yesterday the Energy Saving Trust launched Green Communities - a brand new online hub for UK communities, offering free tools and advice to help communities to come together to reduce their carbon footprint.
 
Green Communities aims to support, facilitate and promote community based energy projects - with a great range of online resources, free training and advice on project planning and funding, and of course, technical support.

To access the site, visitors are encourages to become members. Membership is completely free, and members have access to the following:

1. Advice & Support - impartial advice is provided via telephone or email on a variety of issues.
2. Training - there are a variety of free training courses available for community members who would like to know how to go about running a successful community project - the subjects covered include planning, funding, energy auditing, income generation models and much more.
3. Expert Consultancy - access experienced professionals to assist in making decisions for your project at each key stage.
4. Annual Conference - a chance to attend the annual conference, listen to keynote speakers, network and take part in workshops
5. Funding access and advice.
6. Monthly Email Bulletins -  receive regular updates on the latest sustainable energy news.
7. Newsletters - twice per year receive an email showcasing all of the excellent achievements of the network.
8. Community Carbon Footprint Tool - a tool which allows you to estimate your community’s carbon footprint, and update it as and when your project takes effect.
9. Tools & Resources - access to templates and ‘how to’ guides on how to reduce your community’s carbon footprint and deliver projects.
10. Community Projects - access to our case study library and the Green Communities project database so you can learn from projects which others have undertaken. Likewise, you can also elect to share the learnings from your project with other members.
11. Local Support - the opportunity to bid for hands on support from your local advice centre to help you to deliver your energy project.
12. Bursary - receive up to £200 to help your community group develop an energy project. Funding can cover travel costs, events, equipment, room hire etc. 
13. Green Community Heroes - enter your community project for one of our Green Communities recognition awards in partnership with the Guardian newspaper.

Joan Ruddock, MP, Minister of State, DECC, said: 

“Community-wide action is vital if the UK is to meet our greenhouse gas reduction targets and make the transition to a low-carbon future. We know that lots of people want to take action but aren’t sure where to start – the Energy Saving Trust’s Green Communities programme will play a valuable role in helping achieve collective change, street by street, in every community.”

Expert in community engagement, Professor Erik Bichard, University of Salford, said:

“Our most trusted advisors are often the people we find closest to us. Community strength to tackle climate change needs to start somewhere.  The Energy Saving Trust’s Green Communities programme is a way of compelling community leaders to kick-start local action.”

Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said: 

“We already have 2,000 community groups signed up across the UK and interest is growing daily. We know that by working with communities the potential to influence friends and families is huge.”

Communities across the UK are invited to register for free membership today at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/community or call 0844 848 0077.

Image courtesy of the Energy Saving Trust website.