A BUSINESSMAN challenged to replace uPVC windows believes the case should stop because Fenland Council has given a bigger house up to 15 years to replace their plastic windows.

Peter Taylor – who has been wrangling with Fenland District Council over four windows for two years – says he was “horrified” to discover that Kent House in Chatteris has been let off much more lightly.

Back in August, Mr Taylor was given three months to replace the offending windows at his New Road house in Chatteris.

Last month the council warned him that he faced an appearance before magistrates if he fails to comply with that agreement and complete the work by today.

So far he has replaced two of the four windows.

“All actions against property owners with uPVC windows in Grade II listed buildings should be halted until the policy is reviewed,” said Mr Taylor. “There is no consistency. I think the council has made an example of me.”

Back in the summer, Fenland District Council leader, Councillor Alan Melton promised a “root and branch” review of window policy and the council withdrew enforcement action against the owners of 18th century Kent House which has 23 plastic windows, three satellite dishes and a banner.

Mr Taylor has since discovered - in a letter from Martyn Kendall, the council’s conservation officer- that Kent House owners have been allowed to replace their windows at a rate of two a year.

This week Mr Taylor wrote to the district council’s head of planning to ask whether this now means “that all properties in Fenland towns that are Grade II listed properties and have PVC window are now not going to be issued with compliance requests?

“If your planning policy changes in the near future, does this mean that Kent House and other properties currently going through the non compliance procedure will no longer have to replace their windows?”

Mr Taylor is also asking the head of planning about the basis of the Kent House replacement schedule.

“Was this agreed at a planning meeting or is this a private agreement with FDC and the Kent House owners that should not have been public knowledge?”

Councillor Melton- who admitted he did not know of Kent House’s new arrangements- said: “I am still concerned that there still seems to be mixed messages regarding the replacement of windows and doors to properties in conservation areas and listed buildings.

“A full and comprehensive review will be carried out early in the new year, to formulate a new set of guidelines, which will stand up to scrutiny.”

In September the council promised a sub committee would look into enforcement issues.

On Monday this paper submitted a series of Freedom of Information requests to Fenland Council about enforcement matters.