RESIDENTS campaigning for new windows at a York housing estate say they look forward to seeing them installed - despite claims that the plastic frames are "environmentally unfriendly".
Heritage experts had blocked council plans to replace draughty and decrepit windows in the Navigation Road social housing estate with modern uPVC alternatives.
They argued that the plastic frames would harm the building's appearance and the material is "hazardous", posing a health hazard during manufacture and disposal.
But councillors and residents say the replacement windows are eagerly awaited and that broader environmental concerns will have to be put on ice.
Residents' committee member Barbara Pettitt, of Rosemary Place, said she was "delighted" that the windows look set to be replaced in the New Year.
Mrs Pettitt, who has been campaigning on the issue for over two years, said being warm was an important part of life "like bread and water."
"I am not bothered what the windows are made of as long as I get a warm, draught-free home that saves me on heating costs," she said.
Guildhall ward councillor Brian Watson said he believed technology will have advanced to a stage where uPVC can be safely disposed of by the end of their lifetime.
He said he was "very pleased" that the issue had been resolved between the council planners and the Community Services department who put forward the application.
Plans to replace windows at more than 170 homes in the Navigation Road Estate ran into difficulty after experts suggested that modern windows would detract from the building's appearance.
The estate has been described as an "admirable" post-war housing scheme and features in a respected architectural guide.
At a recent City of York Council meeting planners found a compromise involving uPVC windows that looked very similar to the original timber frames.
Officers believe the solution may not mean a "material change" in the building's appearance and thus may not need to go through the lengthy planning process.
Updated: 11:29 Monday, December 23, 2002
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