An anonymous single complaint has ordered a gin company to paint its bright purple shop grey. Despite being on one of the most colourful streets in Edinburgh, the shop may have to change colour because of " bureaucratic" council chiefs.
Boe Gin director Andrew Richardson, 59, changed the colour of House of Boe, on South Queensferry High Street, from grey to white and purple in June. The paint job was the last part of an amazing £210,000 refurbishment of a derelict bank building that the company transformed into its shop and office.
Andrew was shocked when he received an enforcement notice last month that ordered him to change the colour following an anonymous complaint about the bright paint. City of Edinburgh Council then said it was an offence to paint a listed building in a conservation area without consent.
The dad-of-two Andrew from Edinburgh slammed the council for a ‘narrow minded’ approach and vowed the appeal the decision. He has had the company since 2007 and said: "We rented the building out at the start of the pandemic. We transformed this old derelict building and put a lot of money into it.
"We spent about £70,000 on the office and then around another £140,000 to develop a shop. In June we painted it purple and I think it’s enhanced the building and is in line with the High Street which is bright and colourful.
"We have had lots of compliments that it looks great and we think it will help bring people to the High Street. We are a business investing in the High Street when not a lot of retailers are doing that, and the council are tripping us up.
"We didn’t apply to the council before painting the building because we didn’t know we had to. Then last month they sent a Listed Building Enforcement Notice after an anonymous complaint."
Andrew argued the building fits in with the vibrant High Street and says he doesn’t’ understand why they are being ‘picked on’ by the council. He said it would cost £2,000 to paint the building back grey.
Andrew said: “I don’t follow the council’s logic at all. It’s very bureaucratic and narrow minded, rather than looking at the context of the High Street as a whole. Do they want every building on the street to be painted grey?
"Why are they picking on us. We are going to appeal it because we feel strongly this is nonsense. It would cost about £2,000 to paint it back grey.
"No one else on the High Street has had any issues with the colour of their buildings from what we know. They need to look at it with common sense and see that our building fits with the vibrancy of the High Street.”
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."
