A resident has lost a planning battle to install UPVC windows in an historic street despite a councillor claiming every house on the road probably has them.

Councillors refused the bid to put in five grey UPVC windows in a terrace cottage in Victoria Park’s Elm Street as it sits in a conservation area and the move would breach planning rules.

But during the local planning review meeting today today politicians admitted the policies probably have to change to take into account climate change with UPVC windows keeping heat in.

Councillor Paul Leinster said probably every property in the street had a combination of UPVC.

Chair Ken Andrew, SNP, said: “Looking at Google Street View I don’t know if I could spot a single original sash window on the street. Enforcement could be very busy if they were minded to look at Elm Street.”

Councillor Imran Alam Labour said: “Looking at Google images from August 2022 shows every single property on Elm Street has a different style, colour and material of window. We don’t know who has applied for planning permission and who hasn’t.”

He added: “I’m assuming the reason it is UPVC and not wood is about retaining heat and that kind of stuff.”

A council official said replacement of windows before 2012 did not need planning permission.

She said some of the addresses may have installed the windows before that and would not have needed consent.

Councillor Martha Wardrop, Scottish Greens, said she is concerned about the impact on the conservation area and asked if certain materials should be used when windows are replaced.

An official said the policy is clear that UPVC is not acceptable on windows visible from the street on unlisted buildings in a conservation area.

Pointing out that she doesn’t believe the grey UPVC windows would significantly change the view, Councillor Maureen Burke, Labour, said: This family has taken the right road to get permission. They are dong the right thing. You can see other people have went ahead and changed their windows. That has to be taken into consideration.”

The committee was dealing with an appeal from resident Ms Gilbert over the earlier refusal of the windows at her address in Elm Street.

The current windows at the home are aluminium and not original wooden sash and case, the meeting heard. A council official said wooden sash and case would fit in better with the conservation area but are likely to cost more than UPVC.

Calling for flexibility, Labour Councillor Hanif Raja said the sash windows cost a “horrendous” amount of money.

Councillor Andrew said a selling point for UPVC is thermal efficiency.

Councillor  Leinster, SNP, pointed out ” pretty much every house in the street has some combination of UPVC windows.”

He reminded the committee, however, that UPVC is not considered appropriate for conservation areas, adding: “there is no getting around that.”

Mentioning how he had “sympathy for the applicant,” he said there needs to be a wider conversation about how we go forward giving the climate emergency.

Councillor Declan Blench, SNP, said there is a big tension between what the city is trying to do relating to domestic carbon emissions and (planning) policies in the city development plan.

He continued: “I think the policy needs to be addressed. That is important to mention.”

Most councillors voted to turn down the appeal.

Councillors refusing the appeal to allow the UPVC windows included councillors Blench, Leinster, Andrew, Eva Bolander, Fyeza Ikhlaq, Kenny McLean, Martha Wardrop and James Scanlon.

Councillors Raja, Alam, Burke and Hanzala Malik voted for a motion to grant the appeal.

Glasgow City Council officials gave seven reasons for why they knocked back the planning application in June – stating how it is not in accordance with the development plan and breached certain policies.

An appeal statement lodged on behalf of the applicant said: “a precedent has already been set within the Conservation Area as a whole, and in light of the surrounding properties which are already fitted with non-traditional windows.”