A homeowner has won his battle with a city council after a mystery nosey neighbour reported that his semi-detached house had been painted the wrong colour.
Chris Elston wanted to give the tatty-looking house a face lift and opted for an off-white paintjob with a subtle yellow tinge which, according to neighbours is hardly noticeable.
But because the cul-de-sac in Norwich, Norfolk, is in a conservation area council officials ruled it was ‘detrimental’ to the appearance of the street and would have to changed back to its original colour.
Mr Elston found himself embroiled in war with heritage chiefs over the refurb of the £350k home after he was issued with a ‘repaint’ order.
However, the homeowner claimed the report on his property was ‘misleading and at times incorrect’ and ‘exaggerates’ the changes he had made.
Chris Elston wanted to give the tatty-looking house in Norwich a face lift and opted for an off-white paintjob with a subtle yellow tinge
The home (pictured, right) is in a conservation area and the paintjob was reported to the council by a nosey neighbour
Mr Elston repainted his house with a yellow-tinged off white colour, which enraged a mystery neighour in Norwich
But now in a rare move, the council’s planning committee has over-ruled the ‘repaint’ order and the house – which is rented out – can keep it’s new look.
Mr Elston told : ‘Our thanks go to the City Council planning committee for supporting us in voting for our application and against the planners.
‘By adding external insulation when replacing the render we have upgraded a home, making it more energy efficient and evironmentally friendly.’
Locals were stunned by Norwich City Council taking action against the property in the first place.
Next-door neighbour Jack Betts said: ‘I can’t see what all the fuss is about – the place was a real eyesore. The paint was old and just looked dirty.
‘The owner put up insulation boards because without insulation and just one wall with no cavity, these places can be very cold.’
Mr Betts 31, a plumbing and heating engineer added: ‘He re-rendered and repainted the outside and the property now looks very smart.
‘I don’t know why the council is complaining – it’s a real improvement, the house looks smart and is costing a lot less to keep it warm.
‘There are several types of houses in the road and it certainly doesn’t stand out or look odd.’
Neighbour Giovanni Ablett, 75, who lives opposite, said: ‘I don’t have any problem with the colour at all. I think the house looks brilliant. It’s cleaned up well and the new colour is inoffensive and doesn’t stand out.
‘But apparently some over-officious council man took against it and the owners faced having to repaint the whole of the outside which would have cost a lot of money. Now it seems good sense has prevailed.’
And retired occupational therapist Charles Neave, who lives opposite the property, said: ‘It sounds like someone was a tad over-zealous and going a bit beyond his remit. And asking the owner now to take off the paint and cladding would make a huge mess and a real eyesore.’
Mr Elston found himself embroiled in war with heritage chiefs over the refurb of the £350k home after he was issued with a ‘repaint’ order
Mr Elston won his planning war and will now be allowed to keep the render on the property
Another local said: ‘Have the council got nothing better to do? The changes to the look of the house are minimal and if it make it better and cheaper to live in then I can’t see what all the fuss is about.
‘The home-owner rents the house out and he just wanted to make it more comfortable and cheaper to heat.
‘Instead of which he has been attacked by the council and faced a four-figure bill to repaint the house yet again.
‘Many people would wonder why it is included in a conservation area anyway – it look a bit like Brookside from the TV soap series. It’s hardly a picturesque road to start with.’
‘It only goes to prove that if you live in a conservation area you can’t do anything to your property with attracting the attention of the council.
‘But the houses in the cul-de-sac are very traditional and ordinary-looking. ‘
Council planning officers originally argued that the rendered insulation was ‘detrimental’ to the conservation area which is covered by strict rules on things like windows and colour schemes.
In a report to the city council’s planning committee the officials said: ‘The new cladding is instantly visible and causes a conflicting appearance to the distinctive and homogenous group of properties on the northern side of the cul-de-sac.
‘The colour of the installed render has yellow tones which are not in keeping with the other properties.’
Councillor Mike Sands told the committee that the changes were minimal, adding: ‘I can see little visual difference between the before and after. Changes to improve the thermal performance of a property should be encouraged.
And I cannot see why we are being asked to refuse the application – the changes could be seen as an improvement.’
The committee approved the application by eight votes to three.