The world of listed buildings is one mired in mystery, not to mention a fair amount of smoke and mirrors. Planning laws in this country leave much room for interpretation and otten the views of planners are at odds with property owners, builders and architects. At Heritage Architectural Solutions, this is a situation we often encounter and the answer often revolves around the difference between 'resoration' and 'conservation'.

As a provider of of heritage profile windows and doors we inspect many buildings where the existing windows have rotted beyond repair or have been replaced with incorrect and inappropriate items. We often see that windows have been repaired over and over again, with individual elements being replaced each time. In many cases, we have to ask whether a window that has had all of it constitutent parts can be considered 'original' - a bit like the Ship of Theseus or Trigger's broom. Too often property owners are faced with the unpalatable restriction on replacing windows, making buildings colder, less energy efficient and arguably less attractive. These planning restrictions fall into the camp of 'conservation' - keeping the original regardless of the outcome. The alternative is restoration - bringing a building back to life and to full use - arguably requiring it to brought up to modern standards (within reason). This approach is surely vital to creating a situtation where people will continue to want to buy and live in these buildings.