He’s been prosecuted, been subject to High Court action, once ‘hijacked’ councillors by dressing as Father Christmas to air his protest and today took his case to the chamber at Fenland Hall.

Peter Taylor waited three hours but just before 7pm it was his turn to put his case, quizzing planning portfolio chief Councillor Will Sutton.

Mr Taylor wanted to know if the council would “cancel or quash the enforcement action pending” over his plastic windows to enable him to apply for help under a grant aid scheme.

He needs to replace two UPVC windows in a New Road, Chatteris, property he owns –part of a Grade II listed block- with traditional, timber sliding sash windows.

Cllr Sutton said his answers were straightforward – no to stopping enforcement action and no to grant support.

“This issue has been going on since 2009, its been through appeal and to the high court” said Cllr Sutton. He couldn’t begin to imagine what the planning committee would say if he went to them and asked for enforcement action to be halted,

“I am afraid it cannot be done,” said Cllr Sutton. “You’ve been through all the system, helped and advised and the criteria for the Renaissance grant scheme won’t cover your house, must as I regret telling you that.”

Mr Taylor – who donned his Santa costume a year ago to surprise councillors attending a building design awards night in Wisbech- insisted others in Chatteris had benefited from the grant scheme.

He claimed to have been “singled out” for enforcement action.

Councillor Florrie Newell said Mr Taylor had been dealing with an officer “sacked from this council – I don’t want to name names but I am not leaving it like this”.

It was eventually agreed, after an intervention by council chairman Ken Mayor, that Cllr Newell would meet with Cllr Sutton to discuss it further.

Mr Taylor said afterwards he was disappointed Councillor Alan Melton hadn’t spoken up in support of his case.

A year ago Cllr Melton told the same awards dinner that he found it “strange that this guy has been prosecuted .

Cllr Melton said at the time: “It makes you wonder who was responsible for the listing in the first place.

“It is even more ironic as I cycle round the town in the morning and notice that within 100 yards of his house all the other cottages have plastic windows in them.”