One conservation area,
six character areas inside it.
TW16 · Spelthorne · FENSA Reg 40373
Glazing for Sunbury-on-Thames properties
- Postcodes coveredTW16
- CouncilSpelthorne Borough Council
- Distance from base6.5 miles from Isleworth
- Conservation areas1 in TW16 - Lower Sunbury
- FENSA registeredReg 40373, self-certified installations
Conservation areas
There is no "Sunbury Village", "Sunbury Cross" or "Lower Sunbury Riverside" conservation area - The Riverside is one of six character areas inside Lower Sunbury. Manygate Lane is in Shepperton. See Spelthorne's conservation area page.
Housing stock in Sunbury-on-Thames
Spelthorne's design code describes Lower Sunbury as one of the borough's historic villages, "absorbed by surrounding suburban development, but retaining their historic role as centres", with character based on small greens, a church and varied 18th to 19th century buildings.
| Era | Where | Recommended products |
|---|---|---|
| 18th to 19th century village | The Lower Sunbury historic core and Thames Street | uPVC Sash Window, uPVC Flush Casement |
| Riverside | The Riverside character area within Lower Sunbury | uPVC Sash Window, Aluminium Heritage Window |
| Pre-war suburbs | Edwardian and early interwar - small front gardens, terraces and semis on a street grid | uPVC Bay & Bow, uPVC Casement |
| Post-war suburbs | Up to the mid-1970s - larger front gardens, mostly semi-detached, simpler architecture | Aluminium Casement, uPVC Flush Casement |
Frequently asked about Sunbury-on-Thames
How many conservation areas are there in Sunbury?
One: Lower Sunbury. Spelthorne has eight in total - Staines, Laleham, Lower Halliford, Lower Sunbury, Manygate Lane, Shepperton, Stanwell and Upper Halliford. Manygate Lane is in Shepperton rather than Sunbury. There is no Sunbury Village or Sunbury Cross conservation area; Sunbury Cross is a town centre area in the Local Plan.
Does Spelthorne have an Article 4 direction on windows?
No. Both of Spelthorne's Article 4 directions relate to houses in multiple occupation - one made August 2024 and effective August 2025, the other made March 2025 and effective March 2026. Neither touches windows, doors or alterations, so householder permitted development rights for windows remain in place across TW16.
What does the Lower Sunbury appraisal say about uPVC?
It is specific. It records "a considerable amount of inappropriate uPVC replacement... conspicuous by their disproportionately thick frames and false glazing bars", and notes that modern units set flush with the elevation "reduce the characteristic depth of historic facades created by older windows set back within the reveal".
Does a sash-look uPVC window count as like-for-like?
Not according to the appraisal. It states that modern uPVC windows imitating Georgian or Victorian sashes "but with false glazing bars and a top-hung casement opening mechanism do not constitute a like-for-like replacement for traditional timber-framed Victorian sliding sash windows, although they may appear stylistically similar."
What is the current Local Plan policy?
The Spelthorne Local Plan 2024-2039/40 was adopted on 17 March 2026. Policy PS3, Heritage, Conservation and Landscape, requires that features of architectural or historic interest "should be retained in situ and repaired rather than replaced wherever possible". The Local Plan does not otherwise regulate window materials.
Sunbury: one boundary that changes everything
Sunbury-on-Thames is in Spelthorne Borough Council, Surrey, which has eight conservation areas. Only one - Lower Sunbury - falls in TW16. It was originally designated in 1969, with boundary revisions in 1992, and its current appraisal was prepared in 2024 and published in January 2025 as supplementary planning guidance.
That appraisal divides the area into six character areas: Historic Core, The Riverside, Thames Street (Central), Sunbury Park, French Street and Green Street (North). Those are sub-areas, not separate designations.
Spelthorne has no Article 4 direction affecting windows - both of its directions concern houses in multiple occupation. So while the appraisal is critical of past uPVC work, householder permitted development rights for like-for-like replacement on unlisted dwellings remain intact, inside the conservation area as well as outside it. Listed buildings and flats are the exceptions.
Before you order in TW16
- Planning authoritySpelthorne Borough Council
- Local PlanAdopted 17 March 2026
- Governing policyPolicy PS3, Heritage, Conservation and Landscape
- Article 4 on windowsNone - both directions are HMO only
- Conservation areaLower Sunbury, appraisal published January 2025
The appraisal is emphatic about reveal depth: units set flush with the elevation lose "the characteristic depth of historic facades". Setting a replacement back into the reveal costs nothing and changes how the whole frontage reads.
