Planning Officer refusing cream windows

[buildernewbie]

we are on the verge of getting planning permission for our renovation project having jumped through numerous hoops set by our planning officer.

he has now refused our windows because he doesn’t like the colour cream. i’m increasingly pissed off because we’ve made so many changes at his request.

the house is 150 years old and isn’t listed, isn’t in an area of any historic relevance, but is simply a property that we are trying to pay homage to. we are also extending to the side, so while it will have a contemporary look, the officer insisted that we keep the original stone. it wasn’t what i wanted but we agreed to it to get the planning permitted. we are having cream sash windows on the stone front, but he wants a dark grey.

i feel that grey is modern and will lose its appeal in years to come, especially on a stone house. i thought cream would emphasise the stone and would soften the overall appearance.

i will be telephoning this officer on monday for a final attempt to persuade him to allow the cream. any tips? DH is at the end of his tether with this man who seems to wield so much power. it all seems down to his personal taste though, which is rather infuriating.

help!

That seems ridiculous, cream and grey are both neutral, inoffensive colours. It would make more sense if you wanted grey and he was insisting on cream, given how popular anthracite grey still is.

Pick your battles.... and this is definitely 1 I'd pick! Escalate, escalate, escalate!!! Good luck OP

Our conservation officer was demanding wooden bi-folds on our extension until I pointed out next door (identical property) had metal/aluminium bi-folds signed off the previous year! She let that one drop, so I'd go find some precedence with other properties and make a point.

I am amazed by this. I live in an borough known for being difficult (they rarely approve extensions over 4 m on detached for instance) and you don't even have to state what window colour you will use. This is insanity for a non-listed house not in a conservation area.
I have no advice but am offering

Sounds to me that they are completely overstepping what they can do here. Not liking cream windows- that's bloody ridiculous! I don't think planners have that much control over a non listed, non conservation area house.

Escalate it. Definitely ask for the relevant policies that state planners get to choose the fucking window colour. I'm annoyed for you.

Escalate. Engage your local councillor if need be. If there is a precedent already use it. Best of luck OP.

That's crazy! I'd absolutely fight this. Cream is not an 'out there' choice, it's coming normal. And it's not even listed! I can't understand what he thinks he's playing at.

Definately dig your heels in here. Do not compromise on this. Ask for a copy of their policy for the proceedure to follow when you want to escalate/overide his decision.
We have had to have planning permission to put two large windows (2.1m x 1.8m in clear glass ) in an upper storey of a gable elevation. We were able to submit the application saying the materials would be timber/aluminium. We did not have to specify a colour and we live in green belt. We got planning permission. Planning didn't contact us at all to discuss.
Incidentally, have you thought about aluclad windows? Price wise cheaper than the most expensive (eg. Residence 7) UPVC windows.
Please update and let us know how you go on. Good Luck.

Our council in Wales is obsessed with grey or green. It's not officially in their planning documents just a whim of theirs. They admitted they don't have an approved list of colours

@justasking111

Our council in Wales is obsessed with grey or green. It's not officially in their planning documents just a whim of theirs. They admitted they don't have an approved list of colours

Whereabouts are you? I'm in South Wales.

To complicate matters, builders arrive tomorrow to start on reinforcing a huge boundary wall. Once they start, we want to keep them here so DH is telling me to just make sure it's signed off. He really doesn't want me rocking the boat but....cream bloody windows - how uncontroversial!! So pissed off -
The dark grey against this stone looks like a funeral parlour.

North Wales. The architects can't get a straight answer either. Think they want everyone to match our castles 🙄

The precedence is key. They won’t be able to argue against that especially as it was so recent.

It really shouldn’t come down to the officers personal preferences.

Is he demanding grey (as in anthracite) or French grey? If it's the latter that would make more sense as French grey is a lovely greeny grey colour (looks more green then grey in most circumstances) and looks really good against stone.

Oh yes actually French Grey is actually a nice soft green but technically grey, if they won't budge.

Cream sounds lovely with stone! Grey sounds so bland and trendy.

You need precedents and similar examples from the locality and a request to see the policy which has approved window colours

Seems odd to me that they can dictate a colour if it isn't listed or in a conservation area. Grey can look nice on a modern pale-rendered build, our neighbours have just done this as an extension to a 70s brick job and it looks pretty good, but it's far from obvious to me that it would work with stone. I don't know why they want grey- it's not historic. If your house is Victorian, which it must be, I can;t imagine the Victorians being a fan of grey woodwork. Red, green, maybe blue, definitely white, and in those days white meant cream after a few years as they used linseed oil in lead paint. I can't imagine Victorians using grey on woodwork like window frames for anything but undercoat, though I'm happy to be corrected if wrong. Surely they ought to have to give their reasoning? It seems bonkers to me.

Forgive my ignorance but what would happen if you put cream windows in without it escalating?

Do the police get involved? Do you get fined?

@FuglyHouse

Is he demanding grey (as in anthracite) or French grey? If it's the latter that would make more sense as French grey is a lovely greeny grey colour (looks more green then grey in most circumstances) and looks really good against stone.

Good point. Not asked. DH spoke to his last week and we assumed anthracite grey. This is something I'll look at today.

Jus coming back to this thread with my notebook and pen to make some points before I call him. I'm a bit nervous!

@MirandaMarple

Forgive my ignorance but what would happen if you put cream windows in without it escalating?

Do the police get involved? Do you get fined?

That's a good point. I'm not entirely sure. I'm told that planning can insist that the work be ripped out and re-done according to their specifications in the planning document. I think you can be heavily fined.

Would be good to get clarification on this.

This is the house that was passed some years ago. I hope the owner isn't on MN - let me know if you are!

On what basis can planning insist on colours for your windows unless you're listed or in a conservation area?

@kirinm

On what basis can planning insist on colours for your windows unless you're listed or in a conservation area?

That's a question I'm about to ask!

Would he accept a sage green colour? This looks lovely against stone. Grey seems like a very odd choice to me and I’m surprised that they can specify that if it’s not listed.

If you are thinking to changing the windows after permission is granted from what was permitted, look over your decision notice to make sure there is no restrictive conditions attached to the permission before you do the work. Such conditions can mean you can't change the window colour without consent.