A COUPLE hoping to spend £40,000 on restoring a Grade 2 listed building’s crumbling window frame have become tangled up in a planning nightmare.

A town planning consultant speaking on behalf of Mr and Mrs Webb blasted Swindon Borough Council’s conservation officer for placing what he claimed were unnecessary hurdles which slowed the plan’s progress - only to recommend it be refused.

The council says no final decision has been made and they will meet with the consultant to discuss his concerns.

The Webbs hope to fix a 1950s concrete render below windows on 49 High Street, Highworth, by replacing them entirely using the original method. Their consultant, Rob Gillespie, argued the council’s conservation officer had insisted on a more expensive and less effective way of repairing it.

Highworth councillors supported his argument.

He told them: “The applicants should have been welcomed with open arms but unfortunately... the conservation officer decided to lodge an objection because she thinks it should be repaired in patches, which... is impractical because it would require constant running repairs of fragmenting stone.

“This type of work did not require listed building consent, so it came as a surprise to the Webbs and myself when SBC decided they wanted it.

"We think this is an unreasonably pedantic approach, it's disproportionate. It doesn't warrant further expense in the construction of temporary scaffolding to carry out further investigation to answer the officer's requests.

“We would like some support for this application, some pragmatism for their planning officers and pressure on the conservation officer to be realistic.”

Highworth Town Council is asked for recommendations about whether planning applications should be approved or refused, but they usually refer applications about listed buildings or conservation areas to the conservation officer without making any comments because they feel they do not know enough about this specialised area.

Along with the render replacement, the Webbs would refurbish the sash windows, fix the guttering and shop front canopy box, re-point the chimney, and replace broken glass panes.

The council resolved to challenge the conservation officer's decision and recommend a full strip and replace of the render.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “A decision has not been made on this application yet and our planning officers have agreed to meet the consultant and agent on site to discuss the matter further.”