An Edinburgh gin company has been told to paint its colourful purple building to grey as it is "an offence to paint a listed building."
House Of Boe, in South Queensferry, have hit out at the decision made by Edinburgh Council after painting their headquarters purple and white earlier this year. Company Director Andrew Richardson said he was "shocked" and "upset" after receiving an enforcement order.
The council were forced to take action following an anonymous complaint made about the premises, reports the BBC. They stated that it is an offence to paint a listed building within a conservation area without consent.
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The refurbishment which saw Mr Richardson re-paint the building cost the company £200,000. He said: "I honestly can't understand what we've done wrong.
"I genuinely thought we were enhancing and fitting in with the High Street because it is a colourful place. When we got the lease for this building in March 2020 it was so derelict the ceiling was down, the floors were up and the toilets smashed."
Mr Richardson was first made aware of the potential infringement when an anonymous letter landed on his doorstep asking if he had permission to re-paint the building. An official letter from the council followed shortly after.
Mr Richardson, 59, added: "I simply couldn't understand it as the pub across the road is red, white and black and the two council buildings in the street are white.
"There are also houses and shops in the street that are a variety of colours. They are extremely vague and very subjective, I thought."
He added: "We have spent a lot of money lifting this building out of a terrible state so that it now enhances the High Street.
"It is unnecessary and bureaucratic of the council to go down this route. If they looked at it with a bit of common sense they would see this is nonsense. I feel aggrieved and that the council has got this wrong."
A City of Edinburgh Council spokeswoman said: "It is an offence to paint a listed building in a conservation area without the appropriate consent.
"In this instance we have taken action because of the harm to the building and the conservation area.
"While the owner may disagree with this decision, the appropriate route to challenge the decision is to appeal the notice to Scottish ministers."
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