Jersey residents face plastic window ban
Residents in parts of Jersey could be banned from replacing rotten windows and doors with uPVC ones under tough new planning guidelines.
People are being asked for their opinions on the proposals, which aim to protect features of older buildings.
The guidelines would see residents being made to stick to wooden or metal frames when replacing windows and doors and to replicate original designs.
The Environment Department wants the rules applied to conservation areas.
Deputy Rob Duhamel, the island's Planning and Environment Minister, said: "The scale of loss of these original features is considerable.
"The aim of planning policy is to ensure that the character... of a street or lane is not further eroded.
"Historic windows and doors are an integral part of the fabric of old buildings and add to their special character in the town and countryside."
If approved, the measures could affect anyone living or owning a building in a conservation area.
The draft guidelines state that they would be applied to listed and potential listed buildings, as well as those dating from before 1920.
A provision for setting up Conservation Areas was made in the Island Plan of 2011.