Kingston Old Town, and
no Article 4 on windows.
KT1, KT2 · Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames · FENSA Reg 40373
Glazing for Kingston upon Thames properties
- Postcodes coveredKT1, KT2
- CouncilRoyal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
- Distance from base5.6 miles from Isleworth
- Conservation areas26 borough-wide, ~10,000 addresses
- FENSA registeredReg 40373, self-certified installations
Conservation areas
"Kingston Town" is a neighbourhood, not a conservation area - the designation is Kingston Old Town - and Norbiton is not a conservation area at all. Full list on Kingston's conservation area list.
Housing stock in Kingston upon Thames
Kingston's Core Strategy describes the Kingston Town neighbourhood as "typified by late Victorian terraced and semi-detached housing, with some 1930s developments in the north", within a borough where 64% of the housing stock is houses and 36% flats.
| Era | Where | Recommended products |
|---|---|---|
| Late Victorian terraces | The dominant Kingston Town house type in the council's own description | uPVC Sash Window, uPVC Bay & Bow |
| Victorian and Edwardian villas | Grove Crescent, Liverpool Road and Park Road | uPVC Sash Window, Aluminium Heritage Window |
| 1930s development | The north of the neighbourhood towards Kingston Hill | uPVC Flush Casement, uPVC Casement |
| Steel-framed 1920s and 30s | Kingston notes these can be replaced like-for-like as they remain in production | Aluminium Heritage Window, Aluminium Casement |
Frequently asked about Kingston upon Thames
Does Kingston have an Article 4 direction on windows?
No. Kingston has three Article 4 directions in total: fencing, gates and enclosures at the Seething Wells Filter Beds in Surbiton (made October 2020, confirmed April 2021); commercial and business use to residential; and demolition at North Lodge and South Lodge, Kingsnympton Park, Kingston Hill (made August 2023, confirmed February 2024). None removes permitted development rights for windows or doors.
Are "Kingston Town" and "Norbiton" conservation areas?
No. Kingston Town is one of the borough's four neighbourhoods, and Norbiton appears in the Core Strategy as a place and regeneration area. The relevant designation for the historic centre is Kingston Old Town, designated March 1971 and covering 334 properties.
Will Kingston accept uPVC or aluminium in a conservation area?
Its Conservation Area General Guidance, adopted at Place Committee in June 2023, says non-traditional uPVC or aluminium windows harm historic character - "however, they might be acceptable on rear elevations if their design mimics the original". That rear-elevation carve-out is unusual and worth knowing.
What about replacing an existing uPVC door?
Kingston's guidance states that "the replacement of unsympathetic doors, such as uPVC or aluminium, is supported", with new doors matching the original design and material and slimline, vacuum or laminated glazing used to improve thermal performance.
What is the adopted policy here?
Policy DM12, Development in Conservation Areas and Affecting Heritage Assets, in the Core Strategy adopted April 2012, with Policy CS8 on character, design and heritage as its strategic partner. The Residential Design SPD was adopted in 2013.
Kingston is more workable than most
Kingston upon Thames has 26 conservation areas covering roughly 9.4% of the borough - about 10,000 addresses. What it does not have is any Article 4 direction affecting windows or doors. Its three directions cover fencing at Seething Wells, commercial-to-residential change of use, and demolition of two lodges on Kingston Hill.
That matters because claims to the contrary circulate widely. Any statement that Kingston Town or Norbiton conservation areas carry a windows Article 4 is wrong twice over: neither is a conservation area, and no such direction exists.
The council's substantive guidance, adopted in June 2023, is also more constructive than most. It promotes replacing unsympathetic, unoriginal windows as "an opportunity to upgrade thermal performance using slimline, vacuum, or laminated glazing", while asking that visible replacements match the original design, material, finish, profiles and detailing.
Before you order in KT1 or KT2
- Planning authorityRoyal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
- Adopted policyCore Strategy 2012, Policy DM12 and Policy CS8
- Windows guidanceConservation Area General Guidance, June 2023
- Article 4 on windowsNone anywhere in the borough
- Rear elevationsuPVC or aluminium may be acceptable if design mimics the original
Kingston also notes that pre-existing later changes, such as uPVC or aluminium windows already fitted, do not justify further inappropriate development. A neighbour's earlier alteration is not a precedent.
