Homeowner locked in planning battle after painting house a slightly darker shade of pink

Planning dispute: Mrs Rose is worried she will be forced to repaint her house
Henry Jacobsen
Hannah Al-Othman4 June 2016

A Belsize Park homeowner has become locked in a lengthy planning dispute with Camden Council after she painted her house a slightly darker shade of pink.

Su Rose, 70, has lived in the property in Buckland Crescent for more than 40 years and the house was last painted - in a shade of pastel pink - in the early 1990s.

Mrs Rose had contracted a builder to carry out repair work on the property, who advised her that as scaffolding would have to be erected it may be worth painting the house at the same time.

She agreed, and selected a colour, Cinder Rose by Farrow & Ball, which she believed tonaly matched other buildings within the local Conservation Area.

The house was painted last summer, and it was not until November that Mrs Rose received a letter from Camden Council saying there had been a complaint.

The local authority told Mrs Rose that she should have applied for planning permission for the paint job, and she was advised to apply for retrospective permission.

She told the Standard: "I was really sorry, I didn't realise you needed planning permission to repaint your house - it had been pink anyway.

"They said the law changed in 2010 and I should get retrospective planning permission."

Paint job: the house was painted in pink, with a white trim
Henry Jacobsen

Mrs Rose had to shell out for architects drawings, and enlisted the help of a photographer friend to take pictures of other properties in the area, which are painted in similar colours, to support her application.

"I'm now waiting to find out what's going to happen," she said.

"I didn't do this as a political statement, or an act of aggression against Camden, or to upset my neighbours.

"It's not graffitied, or painted in psychedelic bubbles, or stripes.

Colourful: another house within the Conservation Area is painted blue
Henry Jacobsen

"I felt it was a nicer version of the original colour, which was a light rose pink.

"Quite a lot of the Georgian terraces have been painted in colour.

"I happen to like colour, but we don't all like the same things.

"If Camden want to repaint it at their own cost I wouldn't make a fuss, but I'm not rich, it would be too much of an expense for me, I can't afford it."

Mrs Rose said her neighbours have rallied round in support of her, and have offered to make her case to the council.

"I've had a lot of support from neighbours," she said.

"They're eager to write and say how much they like the colour.

"I don't know why the person who objected didn't say something while the house was being painted - it didn't go up overnight."

Before: the house was previously painted a lighter shade of pink
Henry Jacobsen

Camden Council said it had been made aware of the choice of colour and had begun an “enforcement investigation.”

Labour cabinet councillor Phil Jones told the Camden New Journal: “Planning permission is not normally required to paint your property. However, in this case the property is in the Belsize Park conservation area, where this development right has been removed.

“This matter was brought to the council’s attention and an enforcement investigation opened. A retrospective planning application has since been submitted to retain the pink colour, which is currently being considered.”

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