‘I’ve been ordered to repaint my blue house after just one person complained’

A pensioner says she has been singled out by her local council after they ordered her to repaint her blue home after just one complaint.

Mary Kenny, from Deal, Kent, spent more than £3,000 repainting her house,a ‘lovely’ cobalt shade in 2023.

But Dover District Council (DDC) has now ordered the 82-year-old to redecorate the property in white or pale cream as its appearance is ‘unsympathetic’ to the conservation area in which she lives.

Mrs Kenny says Deal is home to many colourful properties – including another bright blue pub just a few doors down and that many of her neighbours have complimented the hue of her home.

She has been given six months to comply with the notice, and has now reluctantly started repainting the property white.

‘Painting it blue has improved the street scene because it used to be very grotty,’ the grandmother-of-three said. ‘It needed freshening up, and there were a couple of other homes painted blue, and I thought it was a lovely colour.

‘I’m a little old lady of 82, so it’s very concerning to have to confront a problem like this, but I do feel I am owed an explanation as to why.

‘I’m looking for some arbitration and accountability to explain the process. Everyone in the town should know how these decisions are made.’

Mrs Kenny, a writer, moved into the property in 2013 as she needed a more accessible home for her late husband after he suffered a stroke.

She says DDC first contacted her about the new colour scheme in 2024 after someone raised a complaint.

At the time, the authority only advised her to repaint the home, but it is now taking enforcement action due to the lack of action.

Mrs Kenny, who is planning to appeal the notice, says she has received positive comments from other neighbours about the colour scheme.

‘I am willing to comply with the request to change the colour when I can afford to, and have made a start on the repainting, but I am appealing as I would like a hearing to make these judgements more transparent,’ she said.

‘I was able to get my painter to come out one afternoon and start to put the new colour on, and I’ve asked if he can spare some more time.

‘But I’ve informed DDC that I will appeal against the notice because, apart from everything else, I simply can’t afford to repaint it all.

‘A really big part of the job is the scaffolding because I think it cost more than £1,000 last time and is probably more now.’

She added: ‘Other neighbours have told me they very much like the blue house, and The Alma pub, a few doors from me, is also painted a very bright and charming blue.’

A DDC spokesman confirmed the authority has issued an enforcement notice against Mrs Kenny.

Repainting a property would not normally require planning permission, but the authority says it is needed in Mrs Kenny’s case as her home is in a conservation area.

The enforcement notice adds: ‘The painting of the exterior has, due to its inappropriate colour, resulted in a visually unsympathetic development.

‘The inappropriate colour results in the building appearing visually dominant in the street scene, detracting from the visual harmony of the grouping of historic buildings.

‘The painting of the dwelling, therefore, falls to preserve or enhance the conservation area and results in significant harm.’

Under the notice, Mrs Kenny is required to paint the home in white, off-white or cream within six months from May 1.

DDC adds a failure to comply could result in prosecution or remedial action by the authority.

However, it does not specify an approved list of colours for repainting a home.