Planning in Moray: Councillors defy advice and allow appeal
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Energy concerns have led councillors to allow uPVC windows for a C-listed building within a conservation area.
An application to fit the windows on a property on Findochty's Burnside Street was originally rejected because the material does not comply with Historic Environment Scotland standards.
However, the majority of members on Moray Council's local review body have decided to allow the application on appeal.
This decision went against the recommendation of the council's own planning officers.
Councillor Derek Ross (Speyside/Glenlivet, Independent) said: "We have a climate emergency and we also have an emergency in terms of people’s finances.
"It’s four times the amount of money to replace the windows with sash and case.
"It’s all very well for the government to say we have conservation areas, but there has to be money to match that.
"We need grants for people to do this work – and at present there are no grants."
Cllr Ross put forward a motion to approve the appeal as an acceptable departure from policy, as other buildings in the area already had uPVC windows.
Cllr Sonya Warren (Buckie, SNP) agreed.
She said: "So many other properties in the area have not complied, and because there has been so little enforcement they don’t have to remove their uPVC double glazing and revert back to wooden sash and case windows."
Cllr Marc Macrae (Focahbers/Lhanbryde, Conservstive), the chairman of the meeting, felt a precedent had already been set.
He said: "We seem to have a policy that targets the honest person who asks the council, but rewards the person who doesn’t."
Cllr Neil Cameron (Heldon and Laich, SNP) stated that uPVC windows are much more aesthetically pleasing than they were 20 or 30 years ago.
He added: "It’s up to this administration to give planning officers the power to do what we’re trying to tell them to do in this meeting."
Cllr Sandy Keith (Elgin North, Labour) said: "The policies are quite clear whether we like it or not.
"I’m sure the previous council must have given great consideration to these particular policies.
"Some of the people sitting in this room were on the previous council and were content to have these policies in place.
"If we’re to have these conservation areas then the Scottish Government needs to come up with the goods, in terms of making sure there’s a proper grants system."
Cllr Keith proposed an amendment to uphold the original decision.
However members of the committee voted by five to two in favour of approving the appeal, with one abstention.
