Windows project proves a success
In September 2005, the Heritage Foundation announced a window replacement Moratorium for Letchworth Garden City residents, in order to try and resolve the increasing problems of non-compliant windows.
The project has proved a resounding success, with around 650 applications being received and processed by the Foundation’s Estate Management team up until the end of September this year.
The aim of the Moratorium was and is to protect the town’s environment, while being responsive to the individual needs of residents. The main problem area lies within the older housing stock where windows have been changed and either do not comply with the design guidance, or have not been granted consent by the Heritage Foundation.
In order to benefit from the Moratorium, house owners with windows replaced before October 1, 2005, can submit an application with images of their current windows and confirmation of the installation date. If non-compliant, a Moratorium Notice is issued.
This Notice states that, although the current windows do not comply with the design guidance, the Foundation will not take legal action either now or in the future on the windows in question. This is on condition that if and when the windows are replaced in the future, consent will be sought and the new windows installed to match the original design. This Notice has broadly the same status as the Plan Approval Notice and forms part of the legal documentation that an owner is obliged to pass on to a new purchaser. While the Moratorium Notice only covers windows installed before October 1, 2005, residents can still apply for the Notice if their windows are eligible.
If the application was received before March 31, 2006 and a Moratorium Notice subsequently issued, the property owners had the option to change the windows within the next three years and claim a 50 per cent grant from the Foundation towards the cost, with an upper limit for each property of £6,000 for wooden and £4,000 for UPVC windows. This was a special ‘one-off’ offer for those registering for a Moratorium Notice only.
The scheme was promoted with full-page advertisements in The Comet newspaper on two consecutive weeks, followed by a leaflet drop to every house in the Garden City. Insight also carried a full, explanatory article.
The Moratorium Notice project is ongoing for residents but the grant is not now applicable.
The Foundation set up a hotline number for the Moratorium, which is now being used for this purpose and also for general residential enquiries from the public. The dedicated Customer Service Property hotline number is 01462 476017 and is manned by the Foundation’s Information team.