62 & 64 Pelham Road, GRAVESEND, Kent, DA11 0JB

62 & 64 Pelham Road, GRAVESEND, Kent, DA11 0JB — Gravesham Borough Council | | Appeal Decision | | --- | --- | | S | ite visit made on 30 0ctober 2025 | | b | y C Hall BSc MPhil MRTPI | | a | n Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State | | D | ecision date: 19 November 2025 | | | Appeal Ref: APP/K2230/W/25/3371437 | | --- | --- | | | 62 & 64 Pelham Road, Gravesend DA11 0JB | | | • The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 against a refusal | | | to grant planning permission. | | | • The appeal is made by Mr Gill (on behalf of Gilman Services Ltd) against the decision of Gravesham | | | Borough Council. | | | • The application Ref. is 20241157. | | | • The development proposed is for replacement uPVC framed sliding sash windows to front elevation. |

62 & 64 Pelham Road, GRAVESEND, Kent, DA11 0JB — Gravesham Borough Council | | Appeal Ref: APP/K2230/W/25/3371437 | | --- | --- | | | 62 & 64 Pelham Road, Gravesend DA11 0JB | | | • The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 against a refusal | | | to grant planning permission. | | | • The appeal is made by Mr Gill (on behalf of Gilman Services Ltd) against the decision of Gravesham | | | Borough Council. | | | • The application Ref. is 20241157. | | | • The development proposed is for replacement uPVC framed sliding sash windows to front elevation. |

62 & 64 Pelham Road, GRAVESEND, Kent, DA11 0JB — Gravesham Borough Council Decision 1. The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for replacement uPVC framed sliding sash windows to front elevation at 62 & 64 Pelham Road, Gravesend DA11 0BJ in accordance with the terms of the application Ref. 20241157, subject to the following conditions: 1) The development hereby permitted shall begin not later than 3 years from the date of this decision. 2) The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: 101, 102, 103. Main Issue 2. The main issue is the impact of the proposals on the character and appearance of the units and surrounds, including the Pelham Road/The Avenue Conservation Area (CA). Reasons 3. The appeal site is a pair of semi-detached houses on the junction of Pelham Road and Lennox Road East, in a largely residential neighbourhood. Being in the CA, I have applied the statutory duty in Section 72(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and paid special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the CA by attaching considerable importance and weight to that desirability. 4.

62 & 64 Pelham Road, GRAVESEND, Kent, DA11 0JB — Gravesham Borough Council The special architectural and historic interest of the CA derives from the garden plots, mature trees and high quality 19th century buildings, which are represented by predominantly large detached and paired houses displaying an eclectic range of elaborate architectural detailing. The variety contains references to the late 19th century Arts and Crafts Movement and the Gothic Revival style. 5. The Council’s Conservation Areas Maintenance/Replacement Windows and Doors Guidance Supplementary Planning Document (2020) states that applications to replace traditional vertical sliding timber windows with standard uPVC units will be refused; the appeal development is therefore unacceptable as the proposed design and materials would be out of keeping with the age and style of the semi detached pair. _________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

62 & 64 Pelham Road, GRAVESEND, Kent, DA11 0JB — Gravesham Borough Council Appeal Decision APP/K2230/W/25/3371437 __________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. I acknowledge the Council's concerns in this regard, and fully support the Authority's aims in seeking to preserve the character and appearance of the designated CA; in most cases the use of modern materials can be harmful to the overall appearance of an individual building and hence the wider CA. 7. However, at my visit I saw that whilst some buildings may have retained original features such as timber casements, a greater proportion of properties within the vicinity of the appeal site have been fitted with UPVC windows of different styles, colour and design. Whilst these may have been may have been installed before the adoption of the SPD, the date of the Article 4 direction or without planning permission, they nevertheless exist as features along Pelham Road. 8. Changes that have already taken place within many other buildings in the street scene are to the extent that UPVC windows have become commonplace and part of local character.

62 & 64 Pelham Road, GRAVESEND, Kent, DA11 0JB — Gravesham Borough Council Together with their unfussy appearance, I consider that on balance the design of the windows and their materials would have a neutral effect on the semi-detached pair and would preserve the character of the CA. Consequently, no harm would result to its significance as a heritage asset. 9. Reference has been made to a variety of other matters, including energy efficiency, noise reduction and repair of the existing windows, but they do not have a bearing on the appeal before me given my findings above. 10. Overall, I am drawn to conclude that the proposal would not cause an adverse impact upon the character and appearance of the units and surrounds, including the CA. It would meet with the requirements of Policies CS19 and CS20 of the Gravesham Local Plan Core Strategy (2014) and saved Policy TC3 of the Gravesham Local Plan First Review (1994). Together these seek to ensure proposals relate to surrounding development, meet high standards of design, and protect the character of conservation areas.

62 & 64 Pelham Road, GRAVESEND, Kent, DA11 0JB — Gravesham Borough Council The appeal scheme would also be consistent with the National Planning Policy Framework, which states that good design is a key aspect of sustainability and requires new development to make a positive contribution to local character and distinctiveness. Conditions 11. I have considered the imposition of conditions in light of advice in Planning Policy Guidance and the Framework. In addition to the standard implementation condition, the approved plans are listed for certainty. Conclusion 12. Having regard to the above and all other issues, the appeal is successful.

62 & 64 Pelham Road, GRAVESEND, Kent, DA11 0JB — Gravesham Borough Council — C Hall INSPECTOR _________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2