Brighton’s most famous seafront hotel is asking for permission to repair and replace its wooden framed rear windows.
The Grand’s plans come just weeks after a fire investigation report found that the Royal Albion blaze first took hold in a cracked and weathered timber frame.
The fire, which broke out in July last year, destroyed half of the listed building.
The Grand commissioned a timber window manufacturer to undertake a survey of its rear windows in February this year.
It found they were generally in good condition, but the hotel wants to replace the existing single-glazed panes with doubled glazed units.
Where the frames are beyond repair, a complete new window will be installed.
The application says: “As noted previously, The Grand Hotel is a grade II listed building occupying a prominent seafront location within the Regency Square Conservation Area.
“The existing windows to which the proposed works apply are in need of repair/replacement. All proposed repairs/replacements are to be in a style in keeping with the style of the existing windows.
“It is intended that the proposed works will have a positive impact on the character of the listed hotel building, by restoring /repairing the existing windows and upgrading them to double glazed units to improve the energy efficiency of the building fabric.
“The proposed works apply to windows on the rear elevation.
“The windows to the front facade have all been recently replaced with modern double glazed, one over one vertically sliding sash timber windows of consistent design across the whole elevation and one design for the timber French Doors that open up to balconies.”
The replacement of the front windows was planned in 2015.
A spokeswoman for the Grand said: “The Grand is one of the most historic buildings in Brighton, which is why it’s so important that we remain committed to maintaining and preserving the essence and heritage of this iconic hotel.
“The Grand is celebrating its milestone 160th anniversary in July, so it’s vital that regular maintenance is carried out to ensure not only the safety of our guests, but the legacy of this historic building for many years to come.”
The fire report into last year’s blaze at the Royal Albion found it was probably started by a carelessly discarded cigarette which lodged in a cracked window frame.
A similar fire broke out just weeks later at the nearby Harbour Hotel when a wooden windowsill with large open cracks in dry timber burnt with no obvious ignition sources. That fire was quickly contained and no serious damage was done.
The requirement for historic buildings to have old-fashioned and inefficient windows is insane. Most people can barely tell painted wood from UPVC from the street, and the old windows hasten the demise of the rest of the building (or make it much more expensive to maintain at least).