Planning officers have apologised to a St. George's resident after rebuking her over an application which they processed wrongly.

According to papers in the Planning Department, the Development Applications Board refused a retrospective application by Pauline Basden to replace two wooden windows in York Street.

It said: "The building is a Grade Three historical listing and is also within the historic area of St. George. The applicant has replaced the existing wooden windows with aluminium windows.

"The windows were installed without the benefit of Planning or building permit approvals and are considered visually detrimental to both the Historic Area and the historic building, and therefore contrary to the provisions of the Bermuda Plan 1992 Planning Statement.

"The Board wishes to express concern that the applicant has shown blatant disregard for the planning process in that development was commenced prior to planning approval. The Board wishes to advise the Minister to institute appropriate enforcement action."

However, Mrs. Basden told The Royal Gazette that a workman had put in the aluminium windows by mistake and that she had wanted to replace them with wooden ones, but this application was then refused.

"My son sent in an application in 2005. It was going to replace the two PVC windows with wooden windows, but it was refused," said Mrs. Basden.

"I haven't heard from Planning since January, and then I saw my name in the paper. My son has taken the matter up and they have apologised to him, saying it was their misinterpretation and their mistake."

A Government spokesman said: "A mistake was made in the processing of the subject application. It was inadvertently interpreted as retention of the existing windows that were installed without Planning permission rather than a 'renewal' and replacement with wooden windows consistent with the historic nature of the building.

"It is our intention to resolve the matter in the manner of least inconvenience to the applicant, and her son was so advised by telephone. It is our intention to formally communicate with the applicant after full consideration of the matter."