Conservation guidelines for the garden village of Silver End, drawn up to protect the houses that Francis Crittall built for his workers in the 1920s, were severely criticised this week.

Phillip Richardson has announced his decision to challenge a Braintree Council ruling that he remove a new front door he fitted to his grandmother's house in Western Road.

Mr Richardson claims the modern door is more efficient and provides better security for his 84-year-old grandmother.

But Braintree Council officers have issued an enforcement notice which would mean the new door would have to be removed and replaced with a wooden and metal one, because the house lies within Silver End's conservation area.

An appeal into the matter will be heard at Causeway House in Braintree on April 11.

Mr Richardson said: "One has to laugh at the thought of Silver End being a conservation area, this is not Bardfield or Finchingfield."

News of the appeal comes in the same week as Grooms Lane resident, Tony Papple, lost his appeal against an enforcement notice to remove a uPVC door at his home.

The inspector ruled: "The conservation of Silver End, developed by Crittall Ltd, partly to demonstrate the qualities of the company's products as well as to provide accommodation for its workforce, requires attention to be paid to both character and appearance.

"In my opinion the use of traditional materials is part of this, uPVC is not a traditional feature of this terrace or estate."

Silver End district councillor and Green Party leader, James Abbott, said that problems have arisen because of recent changes in rules for the conservation area.

"This had developed into a very unfortunate way of applying the rules, with different people being treated in different ways.

"Clearly Silver End does need conservation rules. It is a very special village with unique architectural features, but the conservation rules are being strictly applied in parts of the village that have already changed.

"One problem is that the rules only apply to certain areas. You get a situation where one person is told what sort of door they can have while a few doors up someone else can have what they like."

Julian Dawson, Braintree Council planning enforcement officer with special responsibility for Silver End, said: "The conservation guide written last year is quite clear about what is acceptable and uPVC is unacceptable.

"If people would just call we are always willing to give free advice. Conservation guides are free.

"I would say that we have never lost an appeal yet in the Silver End conservation area. The Inspectorate fully accepts the rules of the guide."

Views on the appeal should be sent to The Planning Inspectorate, Room 111(2), Tollgate House, Houlton Street, Bristol, BS2 9DJ quoting reference number APP/Z1510/C/99/1033431.

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