Council kicks powers to stop repeat of pink house saga '˜into long grass'

Measures to prevent seafront properties being painted without council permission after outcry when one home had a bright pink makeover have been kicked into the '˜long grass'.
The pink house, in Marine ParadeThe pink house, in Marine Parade
The pink house, in Marine Parade

Worthing Borough Council began exploring ways to control the colour of properties in three conservation areas after the 2015 painting of the former lifeboat house, in Marine Parade. Click here for the background.

The planning committee was presented with a draft order last week – but were warned it could be a costly and time-consuming exercise.

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Head of planning and development James Appleton said: “It’s quite an undertaking for the council to do financially and that might provoke a bit of response from residents that feel Big Brother is not letting them paint their house the colour they want to.”

Committee chairman Paul Yallop believed the decision to explore measures had been a ‘knee-jerk’.

He noted the main ‘culprits’ for bright colours since had been the council, which painted the steps of the listed Pavilion Café and covered the Grafton in a multi-coloured mural.

He said: “If we spend £30,000 of our precious taxpayers’ money because one person painted their house that is not even painted that colour any more how is the public perception going to be at that?”

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The order would have removed permitted development rights for external redecoration between Splash Point and Heene Terrace.

Mr Appleton said it had been tricky to word the order as colours were subjective.

The committee voted last Wednesday to defer the matter for three years.

“The long grass it is,” said Mr Yallop.

Controversial colour schemes are not just subject to debate in Worthing. In April the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea lost a court battle to get a homeowner to remove red and white stripes on her townhouse.