Westminster Resident Faces £16,000 Bill for Two Window Replacements Due to Regulatory Hurdles

A London accountant, Chris Howell, is confronting a bill of nearly £16,000 to replace two rotting windows in his ground-floor flat in Westminster, a cost significantly inflated by complex planning and building safety regulations. The windows themselves are estimated to cost around £5,000, with the vast majority of the expense stemming from bureaucratic approvals required by Westminster Council and the Building Safety Regulator. The situation was highlighted by Sam Dumitriu, who stated in a social media post, "It will cost Chris £15,000 to replace two rotting windows. The windows themselves only cost £5,000. So, why so expensive? Answer: Chris needs to get approval from Westminster Council and the Building Safety Regulator."

Mr. Howell's building, being eight storeys high, is classified as a "higher-risk building" under the Building Safety Act 2022, mandating approval from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) for any work, including window replacements. This requirement persists even though his flat is on the ground floor. Approved glazing bodies have reportedly declined to sign off work in such buildings, forcing Mr. Howell to apply directly to the BSR, incurring consultant fees ranging from £5,000 to £12,000, a £288 submission fee, and hourly charges of £144 for the regulator's time.

Beyond the BSR, Westminster Council requires planning permission for window changes, even if replacements are identical in size and appearance, with an application fee of £528. The council is also expected to mandate more expensive aluminum frames over cheaper PVC options, doubling the window cost to £5,000. Chris Howell expressed his frustration, stating, "If someone smashed my windows tomorrow, I could replace them straight away because it’d be an emergency. But because I’m trying to follow the rules, I’m trapped in months of paperwork and thousands of pounds in fees."

Sam Richards, chief executive of pro-growth campaign group Britain Remade, labeled the situation "red tape lunacy," noting that it is "simply extraordinary that a repair as straightforward as replacing rotting wooden windows required a planning application, multiple consultants, specialist firms and a national regulator." Cllr Geoff Barraclough, Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development, acknowledged the BSR requirement as "ridiculous" but affirmed the council's stance on maintaining historic streetscapes with like-for-like wooden sash window replacements. A BSR spokesman indicated that individual applications are treated proportionately and efforts are made to minimize third-party advice.