Conservation can be inconsiderate as well as harmful

My dear mate is a councillor for Brent and lives two houses before the edge of a local conservation area. His windows are wooden and two houses away, theirs have been replaced with upvc (polyvinyl chloride) material and have been double glazed.

Their windows look better, will last forever and certainly allow the occupants to be warmer in winter and cooler in summer. They also will never need scraping down and repainting. Thus the 'carbon footprint' of his near neighbours is considerably less than his own.

"I can't see why rotting old wooden window frames covered with enough paint to hold the wood together, can be any more good for the area than the newer products, but I was refused permission to replace mine because I live in this conservation area." he grumbled at me over a pint in the Windermere pub.

Even thought he is a councillor, he couldn't sway the decision. But also, because he is a councillor, he won't disobey the order. I certainly would, but I've always been considered a bit of a rebel - even if I am balding!

Upon further questioning, I discovered that although he is in one of those confounded conservation zones, the making of water pipes out of lead as they were in days of yore is forbidden, as is the use of asbestos to make things fireproof.

Seems somebody in the upvc business must have upset a bunch of Brent councillors. Maybe it was that bunch of double glazing salesmen I saw a few years ago!