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I live in a three-storey terraced Victorian house in Highbury, north London. The house has a central staircase, single-glazed sash windows and a part-pitched and part-flat roof. The single-glazed sash windows allow me to heat the streets of Highbury in the winter and the part-flat roof is not insulated (and only accessible via the bathroom ceiling).

I wish to upgrade the house by installing double-glazed sash windows, full roof insulation with photovoltaics and, as part of these works, to add a loft to the part-pitched area. However, I live in a conservation area. This means: I am not allowed to install double-glazing (by development control officers of Islington council, as it will spoilthe Victorian look of the house); I am not allowed to put in a loft conversion (because it would spoil the look of the roof line); and I am not allowed to have PV panels on the roof. I have therefore decided not to do anything, since reducing carbon emissions and being a friendly citizen are not allowed by the planning laws.

It appears that in conservation areas, Victoriana wins over energy saving.

Paul Jackson