In a first for West Yorkshire based Jade Windows the Spectus fabricator supplied and fitted 300 windows for the refurbishment of former stately home Markfield Court, now an Orchard Care Homes residential nursing home.

Ryan Fozzard, estimating manager at Jade Windows comments on the project: “This was a unique one for us, we hadn’t refurbished a stately home before and with it being a listed property the regulations were a minefield.

Fortunately for Jade Windows, Spectus Window Systems was on hand to guide and advise the company through any potential challenges. As Martin Althorpe, technical director at Spectus Window Systems said: “The issues surrounding the Markfield Court project were difficult, not because of installation but from a technical and administrative viewpoint.

“The legislation when dealing with listed properties can be complex.  As we have seen in the press, local authorities aren’t too keen on using PVC-U in listed properties or conservation areas.  There are examples in the Scilly Isles and Henley on Thames where the debate on PVC-U versus wood has raged through the council chambers.  It was refreshing to see that the Leicestershire planning authority wasn’t so blinkered and Markfield Court has now got a low maintenance solution which complements the building’s aesthetic qualities perfectly.”