Victorian school can keep controversial new windows after planning row

Old Catton Church of England Junior School had replaced the timber windows on its Victorian building, which dates back to 1874, with white uPVC windows, in February.

Broadland District Council had previously given verbal advice that planning permission was not needed and work could be done under permitted development.

But when the work was done, Broadland planning officers said permission should have been sought, as the replacements were uPVC and not wooden.

Old Catton Junior School. (Image: Archant)

That meant the 214-pupil school, in Church Street, had to seek retrospective permission from Norfolk County Council's planning committee, amid objections from Old Catton Parish Council and people living nearby.

At Friday's meeting, Neil Cooke, who lives in the same street as the school, urged councillors to refuse permission, saying: "You are being cajoled into covering up incompetence".

He said the school was in a conservation area and planning officers had previously told homeowners within that area that they must not replace their windows with uPVC.

But County Hall officers recommended permission should be granted, particularly given the "great weight" planning authorities should give to educational development.

Ashley Best-White, executive headteacher, told the committee the windows were the only opportunity for ventilation in classrooms used by the school's youngest children.

She said it had been of pressing importance that they could open during the coronavirus pandemic, having previously been painted shut.

Councillors could have refused permission, which would have forced the school to take out the new windows and replace them.

But the committee voted by eight to one, with one abstention, to grant retrospective permission.

Tony White, Conservative county councillor for Downham Market. (Image: Norfolk Conservatives)

Tony White, Conservative councillor for Downham Market, had said it should be rejected. He said: "Just because you have been given wrong advice, ignorance is no excuse."

Conservative county councillor Brian Long. (Image: Archant 2018)

Committee chairman, Conservative Brian Long, who voted in favour of permission, said: "This does not create a precedent for what goes on in conservation areas and we hope this brings the matter to some sort of conclusion."