Estate agents blue over appeal ruling (From Western Telegraph)

Estate agents blue over appeal ruling

HAVERFORDWEST estate agents have been told they must repaint their Victorian Blue premises in Victoria Place in a pastel shade of magnolia.

National Assembly-appointed planning inspector, Clive I. Cochrane, has dismissed the appeal by Askens Ltd (West Wales and Pembrokeshire Properties) against Pembrokeshire County Councils listed building enforcement notice to change the colour of the building, following last months appeal hearing.

Now the company has the option of either challenging the decision in court on a point of law and asking the Assembly to reconsider or taking the case to appeal in the High Court.

Principal Mr Neil Evans commented: I am disappointed with the inspectors decision and clearly we must now carefully review our position.

The inspector agreed with the council that changing the colour of the building from cream to dark blue amounted to a significant change of appearance and had materially altered the character of the building.

It had an impact on the architectural character of the building and on the quality and character of the whole group of listed buildings, he ruled. The dark colour was inappropriate for the delicate detailing of the elevations on a building which formed a bookend to a formal terrace.

But he also criticised the garish red and white (approved by the council in 1999) of the estate agents opposite and said the harmony of the south side had been eroded by the introduction of strong, dark and strident colours.

The appellants, who claimed that the enforcement notice was dictatorial and inconsistent, have been told they cant simply lighten the blue parts of the building, but must restore it to its former state.

A bid for costs against the council has also failed.

q County planning committee chairman, Councillor Lynn Davies, said: We are satisfied that our case has been upheld. Hopefully in future the choice of colour schemes of listed buildings can be resolved through negotiations between the owner and the authority before work commences and without the necessity for invoking the appeals procedure.

He added that the council is compiling general policy guidelines on colour schemes for listed buildings as well as general advice on colour schemes for unlisted buildings in conservation areas.