Bungalows, Bow Windows and Flats Above the High Street

We supply and fit made to measure window shutters in Barkingside IG6, with free measuring and free fitting. We look at the area’s bungalows, bow-fronted houses and flats window by window, and this page says which style to consider where and who you need to ask first.

If you searched for shutters Barkingside, you may be wondering whether they are meant for a home like yours. Shutters have a name for belonging on tall period townhouses, and a bungalow in IG6 or a flat above the High Street does not look much like one. Below, each worry gets a short answer drawn from what the council has published, followed by what we would do about it.

We are London Blinds 4U. We supply and fit made to measure shutters across London, and Barkingside is one of the East London areas we cover. The local facts below come from Redbridge council and Transport for London (TfL) pages, and we say which. Where a rule is not ours to give, we point you to the person who decides.

Are shutters only for grand houses? What Redbridge says about Barkingside’s homes

No. Each shutter is made to measure for one window. What counts is that window, not the age or size of the house around it. Redbridge council gives a useful picture of the windows you are likely to have.

The council’s characterisation study is an older document, and it describes the character of an area rather than every house in it. For the Barkingside area it says this:

• Housing is dominated by large inter-war homes, “with a high proportion of bungalows”.
• “Houses predominate but there are a substantial number of bungalows.”
• Similar features run across the area, “particularly the distinctive bow windows”.
• “Most buildings are rendered, either using pebbledash or smooth finish.”
• Flats are the usual use above the shops on the High Street.

Shutters for a Barkingside bungalow with a front window at street level

In a bungalow the main living room window sits at ground level, so the first thing shutters give you is privacy from the pavement. You can close the louvres, the angled slats, to stop people seeing in, and open them again to let light through.

The same study says the town centre area has shorter front gardens, while the better streets have larger front areas with space for cars and planting. If the garden is short, the window sits close to the pavement. Then café style shutters are worth a look. They cover the lower half of the window only, so people outside see a shutter at eye level and daylight still comes in above. The top glass stays bare after dark, which is the one thing to think about before you choose. For a bedroom at the front, full height shutters cover the glass from sill to head and give you the full range of tilt.

What we check on a Barkingside bungalow’s front window before quoting for shutters

• How close the glass is to the pavement, and at what height people can see in.
• Whether you want the top of the window covered after dark, or only the lower half.
• The size of the glass and where the handles and stays sit.
• What is below the window, such as a radiator or a deep sill.
• Which louvre size, 47, 63, 89 or 114 mm, gives you the view you want. Narrow louvres look finer on a small window. Wide ones show more of the outside and leave fewer slats to wipe.

Bow windows in Barkingside: how we decide whether shutters will fit

We decide bow by bow, because a bow is the one window shape where we want to see it before we say whether shutters will fit. A bow is a gentle curve. A canted bay, usually just called a bay, is made of flat faces set at angles. Redbridge’s study singles out the “distinctive bow windows” of the area, so it is worth knowing which one you have.

We look at the shape of each bow at the free measuring visit and tell you whether any of our styles suit it. We do not promise a result from a photograph, because there may be technical reasons why some styles are not suitable for your window. If a blind would suit it better, we say so. Our guide to bay window options shows how the choices compare.

Measuring a bow-fronted Barkingside window for shutters: what we look at, in order

1. Whether the window is one true curve or flat panes set at angles.
2. How many sections there are and how wide each one is.
3. How deep the frame is, and whether the sides sit flat.
4. Where the handles and window stays are, and whether they reach into the room.
5. The sill, and anything fixed below it.

Myth: pebbledash or render outside means shutters cannot be fixed in Barkingside

No. Our shutters go inside the room, on the window side of the wall, so the pebbledash or smooth render on the outside is not what we fix to. The council’s study says most buildings in the area are rendered, which is why this worry comes up.

The frame is what counts, along with the sides of the opening inside, which are called the reveal. Whether your frames are uPVC or timber, two houses in one street can differ a good deal, even when they were built in the same year by the same builder. So we check on site. A photograph is not enough:

• How deep the frame is.
• What the shutter frame can be fixed to.
• How the sides of the opening sit.

Shutters for flats above the shops on Barkingside High Street

A flat above a shop faces the street from upstairs. So the question is less about being seen from the pavement and more about light, the buildings opposite and who owns the window. The council’s study says flats are the main use above ground floor on the High Street.

Traffic and footfall on a main road lead some people to shutters. A silent room is not something we would promise. Our guide on whether shutters cut noise explains what to expect.

Before you order for a flat above a shop:

• Read your lease to see who owns the window frames and the glass.
• Ask the freeholder or managing agent, in writing, whether fixing to the frame is allowed.
• Tell us if a window is your way out in an emergency, so we can check how the shutters open.
• Keep the reply with your lease papers.

Shutters in Barkingside Yard and other new flats by the station

Barkingside Yard is a development of 98 new homes in three buildings, next to Barkingside station, according to TfL and Redbridge. If you live in a home like that, the landlord comes before the order.

A modern flat window can be a plain, flat-faced frame, which is easy to measure. It can also leave room for a shutter frame inside the opening. We still check each window on site. Before you pay for anything, ask whoever owns or manages the building:

• Whether you may fit shutters at all.
• What they want to see before they agree.
• Whether the shutters would have to stay when you leave.

Renting a home in Barkingside: the licensing scheme and asking for shutters

If you rent privately in Barkingside, the question for shutters is your tenancy agreement and your landlord’s written yes. The council’s licensing scheme is the landlord’s responsibility and does not replace either.

Redbridge’s news page says its selective property licensing scheme began on 8 April 2024 and runs to 7 April 2029 unless it is revoked. Barkingside, Fairlop and Hainault are among the wards covered, and landlords and agents of most private rented homes in those wards must apply for a licence. Rules and wards can change, so ask Redbridge whether your property needs one.

A landlord may reasonably want to know how shutters are fixed and whether they can come off again. A short, clear request helps:

• Name the room, the number of windows and the shutter style.
• Say that the shutters are made to measure and fixed to the window frame.
• Ask what should happen to the shutters and the fixing holes at the end of the tenancy.
• Ask for the answer by email or letter, so you both have it.

Do you need Redbridge’s permission to fit shutters in Barkingside?

It depends on your home. Redbridge is the one to ask. We cannot tell you your address is free of rules, and we would not say shutters never need consent.

Redbridge explains that an Article 4 Direction creates extra planning controls in particular locations, and its list of the things that can be controlled includes replacement windows and doors. It also says most works to a listed building need listed building consent, and that altering one without it is a criminal offence. Shutters sit inside the window rather than replace it, which is a different job from changing the frames. Still, we would rather you asked than guessed.

Three questions to put to the council:

1. Is my home a listed building?
2. Does my street have an Article 4 Direction or any other extra control?
3. Does fitting shutters inside the window need consent at my address?