'Chocolate-box' version of Haverhill has failed, councillors told
Friday, 22nd November 2013.
A compromise over planning restrictions covering the Victorian and Edwardian homes in Haverhill has been supported by local councillors.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council had wanted to revoke Article 4 Directions, which remove home-owners' rights to change the appearance of their property without planning permission, but members of the council's Haverhill Area Working Party threw out the proposal in August.
Now the borough has suggested a watered down version, which keeps the basic restrictions on property colour, roofscape, etc, but exempts windows, doors and porches.
This would enable residents to install upvc double-glazing, instead of hard wood window replacements.
Members agreed to this, after hearing the current situation caused real hardship to residents, and it will now go out to public consultation.
Residents were allowed to address the working party in a public forum to make their case.
Keith Mizen, who was representing his elderly mother who lives in Chainey Pieces, said few of the properties were worth protecting, being mostly built as Gurteens workers houses.
The aim of the regulation was to get people to restore original features, but this had failed because it was just too expensive.
A bay window would be £4,000-£5,000 and all windows around £20,000, whereas with ordinary replacements the figures would be about £1,000 and £5,000 respectively, around a quarter.
Thye properties were mostly owned either by private landlords, elderly long-tume residents or first, time buyers, and one of these were able or willing to fund the costs, so the frontages of the properties were falling into disrepair.
"The council should be about helping residents by keeping their homes affordable, rather than a failed attempt at creating some sort of chocolate-box version of history," he said.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council had wanted to revoke Article 4 Directions, which remove home-owners' rights to change the appearance of their property without planning permission, but members of the council's Haverhill Area Working Party threw out the proposal in August.
Now the borough has suggested a watered down version, which keeps the basic restrictions on property colour, roofscape, etc, but exempts windows, doors and porches.
This would enable residents to install upvc double-glazing, instead of hard wood window replacements.
Members agreed to this, after hearing the current situation caused real hardship to residents, and it will now go out to public consultation.
Residents were allowed to address the working party in a public forum to make their case.
Keith Mizen, who was representing his elderly mother who lives in Chainey Pieces, said few of the properties were worth protecting, being mostly built as Gurteens workers houses.
The aim of the regulation was to get people to restore original features, but this had failed because it was just too expensive.
A bay window would be £4,000-£5,000 and all windows around £20,000, whereas with ordinary replacements the figures would be about £1,000 and £5,000 respectively, around a quarter.
Thye properties were mostly owned either by private landlords, elderly long-tume residents or first, time buyers, and one of these were able or willing to fund the costs, so the frontages of the properties were falling into disrepair.
"The council should be about helping residents by keeping their homes affordable, rather than a failed attempt at creating some sort of chocolate-box version of history," he said.
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