Planning double glazing in Letchworth Garden City? Before choosing frames, it helps to know that replacing windows or doors on most Letchworth homes needs the consent of the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation as well as any council approval. Inspired Glazing fabricates aluminium windows and doors in its Fifield workshop near Windsor, supplies UPVC on the Selecta Advance 70 system and composite doors, and fits with its own team. We survey carefully, record the existing design, and quote for windows that stand a good chance of approval.
Get a free, fixed-price quote in Letchworth Garden City
Made in our own Fifield workshop and fitted by our own team. Aluminium windows from £400, lead times from 10 days and a 10-year guarantee. Tell us what you need and we’ll book a free survey.
The first garden city
Letchworth was the world’s first garden city. Development began in 1903, when First Garden City Limited bought the land to put Ebenezer Howard’s ideas into practice, and Barry Parker and Raymond Unwin won the layout competition in 1904. The 1905 Cheap Cottages Exhibition brought about 60,000 visitors and left a scattering of experimental homes. The early houses are in the Arts and Crafts manner: roughcast or brick walls, steep roofs, small-paned casement windows and deep porches. After the Second World War, the Grange estate from 1947 and the Jackmans estate from 1959 added large numbers of council-built homes, many now privately owned.
Two layers of approval
The Heritage Foundation’s Scheme of Management
The Heritage Foundation owns and manages the estate. Its Scheme of Management applies to all freehold premises on the Letchworth Garden City estate, and it lists replacement windows and doors among the alterations that need its consent. This is separate from planning, listed building or building regulations approval. The Foundation’s Design Principles split homes into Heritage and Modern character areas, and it says it supports applications that restore original designs and detail lost over time. It also offers free pre-application advice, which we recommend using.
North Hertfordshire District Council
The Letchworth Conservation Area was designated in 1974 and amended in 1990, and the Croft Lane area has its own character statement. Many of the town’s early houses are also listed. Check with North Hertfordshire District Council on planning and listed building matters, and read our guide to planning permission for replacement windows.
Matching our products to Letchworth homes
- Arts and Crafts cottages: small-paned casements are the defining feature. Outward-opening casements such as Reynaers SlimLine 68 follow the traditional opening style, and glazing bars can be added. We do not make timber windows; if the Foundation or council requires timber, we will say so at survey.
- Grange, Jackmans and later homes: these are usually in the Modern character area, where UPVC windows and doors or Cortizo and Alunet aluminium give a straightforward, good-value upgrade. Consent may still be needed.
- Rear extensions: Smart Visofold and Cortizo bifold doors, Reynaers ConceptPatio 130 sliding doors, conservatories and roof lanterns.
- Front doors: composite doors come in cottage-style designs, subject to consent.
More detail on each aluminium system is on our aluminium windows and doors page.
How we help with your application
At survey we photograph each elevation, measure every opening and note the existing pane layout, opening style and colour. We can then supply drawings and product details for your Foundation application or planning submission. We only take a deposit and start manufacture once you have the consents you need, so there is no risk of being left with frames you cannot fit.
On the Grange and Jackmans estates, decades of piecemeal replacements mean neighbouring houses often have very different windows. Replacing a whole elevation in one consistent style can tidy up a front considerably, and it gives the Foundation a clear, coherent proposal to assess. If you own a flat, check your lease as well, because the freeholder’s consent may be needed on top of the Foundation’s.
Areas around Letchworth we cover
- Norton and the north of the town near Norton Common
- Willian
- Baldock
- Radwell and Ashwell
- Ickleford
We also cover Hitchin, Royston and Biggleswade.
The journey from Fifield
We have no office in Letchworth. Our workshop at Fifield is roughly 50 miles away by road, usually around an hour or a little more via the M25 and A1(M). Surveys are free. Once consents are in place, lead times start from 10 days, aluminium windows start from £400, and our installations come with a 10-year guarantee. Our double glazing cost guide explains what drives the price.
Start with a free survey
Call 01753 965 005, WhatsApp 07934 152 343, or request a quote online. We are open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Heritage Foundation consent to replace windows in Letchworth?
If you own a freehold home on the Letchworth Garden City estate, almost certainly yes. The Foundation's Scheme of Management lists replacement windows and doors as alterations needing its consent, separate from any planning approval. Leaseholders may need consent under their lease too. The Foundation offers free pre-application advice, and we can provide drawings and specifications for your application.
Will UPVC windows be approved in Letchworth Garden City?
It depends on your home and its character area. The Foundation's Design Principles treat Heritage and Modern areas differently, and it favours restoring original designs. UPVC is more likely to suit post-war homes in the Modern area than early Arts and Crafts cottages. Ask the Foundation for pre-application advice and check with North Hertfordshire District Council if you are in the conservation area.
Is Letchworth a conservation area?
Yes. The Letchworth Conservation Area was designated in 1974 and amended in 1990, and North Hertfordshire District Council has a separate character statement for Croft Lane. Many early houses are also listed. Rules depend on your address, so check with the council before ordering windows, in addition to any Heritage Foundation consent you need.
Do you take a deposit before consent is granted?
No. We survey for free, help with drawings and product information, and only take a deposit and start manufacture once you have the approvals you need. Our lead times start from 10 days after that, so you are not left waiting long once consent arrives.
How far do your fitters travel to Letchworth?
Our team is based at Fifield, near Windsor, roughly 50 miles from Letchworth by road and usually around an hour or a little more each way. We have no local branch. We book installation dates in advance and most homes are completed in one or two days.