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Wednesday, 4th November 2009 Change Date Latest Issue

Shop's paint job slammed by city planners

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Published Date: 07 April 2009
IT is a problem which has faced even the most diligent of DIY enthusiasts – you get the paint on the walls and it isn't exactly what you were expecting.
But sandwich shop owner Cerkan Cinar is now set to pay the price after falling foul of city planners for painting the front of his George IV Bridge premises a bright lime green colour.

The businessman had planned to repaint the Deli Global shop d
ark green – the colour it has been for years – but the paint chosen came up a much brighter shade of green, something which has not impressed city officials. Planners have described the new colour scheme as " overly assertive" and not in keeping with the World Heritage Site.

Councillors are now expected to approve moves to force Mr Cinar to repaint the front of the B-listed building, a move which the businessman said he will resist without compensation.

He said: "We chose the one in the catalogue which looked exactly the same but it did not work out like that. After it had dried it turned out a lot brighter.

"It does not look that bad I think but I would be happy to change it if the council helps me with the cost.

"Having it painted is much better than leaving it to peel and go bad though."

Planners have taken a number of businesses to task in recent years for repainting their premises not in accordance with the city's strict rules.

In November last year, enforcement action was taken against the "garish" orange and white frontage of a factory clearance shop on Slateford Road.

In 2006, a Cashmere shop on Dundas Street was ordered to strip grey paint from its stonework and return the facade to its original condition.

Numerous businesses have also been pulled up for the size and design of signs, most notably when banking giant RBS was told to revise plans to hang its distinctive snowflake logo on a bridge over the A8 next to its Gogarburn headquarters.

John Bury, the council's head of planning, said: "The front of the property was previously painted a green colour, albeit, in a more visually subdued hue which allowed the property to blend in with the adjacent shop fronts.

"The lime green paint scheme currently adorning the premises is overly assertive and has a significant visual impact which is not in keeping with the character of the listed building."

Councillors on the city's planning committee will tomorrow decide whether to enforce the paint change.





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  • Last Updated: 07 April 2009 11:51 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Edinburgh planning issues
 
1

Buttress,

07/04/2009 12:03:10
It's a planning issue, a listed buildings issue, but it's hardly a WHS issue.

But really, why carry on painting once you realise that it's the wrong colour?


2

Yonthing!,

07/04/2009 12:15:19
You can't win. You just can't win. All the time we keep hearing - "you should go Green". And what happens when you go Green - you get told you've done the wrong thing. You just can't win!
3

the plum,

edinburgh 07/04/2009 12:16:42
one has never heard of a paint job being referred to as, '...overly assertive...' sounds like the council is being 'overly stupid'. do they actually pay people to inspect the assertiveness of paint schemes around town? if so, wher can i apply for such a job? are they looking for assertive employees?
4

Lil Miss,

07/04/2009 12:29:13
Sometime I think some people make a fuss as their job means they have nothing to do and make the fuss to make it look like their job needs to be kept.
5

JulesF,

Kirkliston 07/04/2009 12:34:23
The real story here is that he got the brown envelopes muddled up !
6

Buttress,

07/04/2009 12:36:31
The real story here is that he broke democratically adopted planning rules, and the council is doing what we pay it to do.

7

alfonsa pedrosa,

embra 07/04/2009 12:38:17
A case of people justifying their existence,or just nothing to do.
8

Buttress,

07/04/2009 12:47:29
No, they are doing what we pay them to do. That's to enforce planning rules.
9

the plum,

07/04/2009 13:13:06
buttress - the real story here is that the council are wasting public money on trivial investigations over the shade of green painted on shop fronts. the council are payed to look after the city of edinburgh and its fine people by spending money wisely...not quibbling over the dulux paint chart.
10

Buttress,

07/04/2009 13:20:28
I explain Caltongate by saying that the council passed the plans at a planning meeting of the elected council.

That's how it works.


11

Buttress,

07/04/2009 13:22:06
No, I think that the council is right. I think lime green paint is agiants policy and will look dreadfully intrusive also. I don't think that the council should pick and choose what it takes action against.
12

Duncan in Edinburgh,

07/04/2009 13:24:29
"I would be happy to change it if the council helps me with the cost"

Haha, nice try sunshine. Tin of good quality exterior paint: £50. Borrow a ladder, do it yourself, and learn your lesson.
13

Peedie Paws,

07/04/2009 13:29:48
There is a factory clearance shop on Slateford Road? My god, no wonder I missed it. It blended in with the other dull shops there. I was looking for the bright orange & white front it previously had!
14

Buttress,

07/04/2009 13:30:02
Dunkie - I'm worried. That's twice we have been in agreement.


15

Des Gruntled,

Edinburgh 07/04/2009 13:36:46
What has trams or Caltongate got anything to do with it. This joker flouts planning rules by painting his shop lime green, then wants you and I as taxpayers, to pay him to paint it back to its original colour. Behave!
16

Buttress,

07/04/2009 13:37:53
Quite.
17

is it me?,

Edinburgh 07/04/2009 13:52:10
The answer is obvious...Cinar repent !
18

nSyratzcGlaw,

07/04/2009 13:56:02
Why is it a Giants Policy to paint a shop green ?

Yo ho ho ?
19

nSyratzcGlaw,

07/04/2009 13:56:48
and today in edinbugh, man paints shop funny colour.
20

piper,

07/04/2009 14:05:21
the council talk about world heritage site what about that monstrosity they call the scottish parliament building at hollyrood they must be having a laugh
21

Duncan in Edinburgh,

07/04/2009 14:24:39
#19 Haha, v. good.

#22 Can I interest you in a range of capital letters, some punctuation, and a dictionary?
22

Buttress,

07/04/2009 14:27:19
Also the fact that the paint colour really has not a lot to do with the OUV of the WHS?

23

guaposcot,

madrid 07/04/2009 15:02:22
HEshould pay to paint because this article is free publicity for him in the news paper.....
24

Jamie Oliver,

07/04/2009 15:38:59
This has nothing to do with paint. The council simply despise small-scale private enterprise.
Multi-nationals? No problem! Please line Princes Street with disgusting shop fronts!
Public sector? No worries! Please storm ahead with as many ugly, manky, overpriced, unmanaged projects as you can think of!
Little man? Pay your rates. Do as you're told. Shut up. We are the knowers of knowledge
25

Peter - very disappointed/concerned,

Edinburgh 07/04/2009 16:32:28
"Councillors are now expected to approve moves to force Mr Cinar to repaint the front of the B-listed building"

This Town and its Councillors and its Planning Department - what a bunch of 'heroes' what a lot of Bull***t.

26

Duncan in Edinburgh,

07/04/2009 16:35:39
#26 What a load of rubbish. Somebody turn you down for a grant did they?

I run a small business and have never been badly treated by the council.

Or are you one of those people who uses the term "small business" but is actually talking only about retail? The problem with many small retailers in this city is that they bend every rule to breaking point, with A-boards blocking the pavement, over-sized signage spoiling the streetscape, sub-minimum wages paid to staff - and then act like the world owes them a living when nobody comes to buy their shoddy wares.

*breathes*
27

Jamie Oliver,

07/04/2009 16:45:37
So Dunc the Hunk... I'm guessing your small business services the council?
28

Jamie Oliver,

07/04/2009 16:53:10
And are you seriously saying that business rates aren't prohibitively high for most, apart from the usual suspects of Boots, Dixons, HMV, Burger King et al? Because what I see in the centre of town is the big boys at play, trying to make our city centre look like every other damned city centre in the UK.

Good on Cerkan. It may not be pretty and it may have been a total c***-up on his part but at least his shop front has a bit of spice and originality. Or should we all resign ourselves to living in a Grey City?
29

Des Gruntled,

Edinburgh 07/04/2009 17:26:46
#30 The multi nationals and public sectors that you speak of, they follow the law! They apply for planning permission and go through the proper channels, and more often than not are required to contribute financially to council funds.

Do you seriously think we should allow every shop in the new town to paint their exteriors bright blue, luminous yellow, shocking pink - brilliant idea genius!
30

Jamie Oliver,

07/04/2009 17:46:49
Yeah Des,

Death to colour. Death to difference. Go and burn down Tobermory you miserable git
31

gggrumpy,

07/04/2009 17:56:16
Does no council planner consider the purple PC World building in Corstorphine " overly assertive "?

If i painted my house this colour they would be rapping on my door before the paint had time to dry!
32

MikeN,

Edinburgh 07/04/2009 18:16:45
I love the descriptions!

"I'd like a tin of green paint please."

"Certainly, Sir. What shade would you prefer? I can give you 'Overly Assertive Green' or 'Visually Subdued Green'."
33

Duncan in Edinburgh,

07/04/2009 19:32:28
#29 No, we've never done any work for the council. But I see that I was right - what you meant by "small business" was actually "small retailers". There is a lot more to Edinburgh small businesses than that, something which a strangely large proportion of the "Federation of Small Business" (who certainly don't represent mine) and their supporters regularly seem to forget.

As for your support for this guy trying to add "spice and originality" - did you miss the part in the story where he said he was trying to make it the same colour of green as it was previously?

Tell me, Mr Oliver, what do you do yourself?
34

MoiraMac,

07/04/2009 19:34:05
He could always cover the front of his shop with cheapo rugby tops, fancy dress kilts, c u jimmy hats, bright green nessy hats, huge flags, a couple of towel kilt mannequins two or three postcard stands on the pavement and he would be OK. See Canongate shops for how to do it!
35

Buttress,

07/04/2009 19:54:37
Those are temporary, so don't count.
36

Mr Fuzzy,

Edinburgh 07/04/2009 21:19:57
Is there a list of approved colours for this area ie. wine reds/navy blues /dark greens?
It might save on confusion if these were specified beforehand.

Though Pizza Paradise has the same shade of green on Google Streetview.
37

Buttress,

07/04/2009 21:38:00
I think this is the most up to date doc:-


http://download.edinburgh.gov.uk/DQ_Guidelines/Colour_of_Build.pdf

38

Jamie Oliver,

07/04/2009 23:14:35
Hey Dunc

I'm fairly ambivilant about supporting him. I mean, it's pretty manky and he's a chump for getting the wrong colour. But I don't think it's a big deal.

I think that the current works around Edinburgh, like the ones at the top of Victoria St, Quartermile and Dundee St, are souless though. While a nasty lime green shopfront is garish and 'illegal', the dude is being hassled for very little reason, in my opinion. At least it's a bit odd. Big companies with massive legal teams and lots of cash, meanwhile, have free leave to build these miserable, mediorce, generic buildings that contribute nothing to the view.

I work in educatoin by the way

peace
39

Jamie Oliver,

07/04/2009 23:14:51
ha ha education
40

Julian.,

edinburgh 07/04/2009 23:15:30
Jamie Oliver,

Council's not bothered about what multinationals do?

Did you read the bit in the article which said:-

"RBS was told to revise plans to hang its distinctive snowflake logo on a bridge"
41

Julian.,

edinburgh 07/04/2009 23:21:12
Duncan,

Maybe the sandwich shop owner could furnish us with the pot of paint or Dulux colour card which indicated it was going to be the same colour as before.

Or was it maybe the case that he went to the paint shop, looked at the green paint section, picked one out and said to himself "yeah, looks about right"
42

Gina Gibson,

Wales 07/04/2009 23:26:45
Why doesn't the council do something about all the tat that the Gold brothers pile on the pavement on Princes Street.
The noise coming from their shop is certainly "over assertive!"
43

Duncan in Edinburgh,

08/04/2009 07:44:18
#40 I understand your point, but I don't accept the argument that if one bad decision is made the council should give up on enforcing any rules whatsoever. George IV bridge is an important part of the Edinburgh streetscape (to this generation at least - when it was built it was the subject of more opprobrium than the trams!) and the council is right to try to stop it being a free-for-all in terms of shop frontage.

Whatever you say about the building at the top of Victoria St, it's an improvement over what was there before, and I think it has some decent design features, though it's far from perfect. Quartermile is a mixture - some it is being done very well, but any developers with that big a site will be able to bully and cajole the council into allowing "minor amendments" which end up amounting to a redesign, and that has happened too much there IMO. Not seen enough of Dundee St development to comment.
44

MoiraMac,

08/04/2009 09:12:23
#44 Gina Gibson

Why doesn't the council do something about all the tat that the Gold brothers pile on the pavement on Princes Street.
The noise coming from their shop is certainly "over assertive!"

I'm wondering if the Tartan Tat merchants are a protected species and it perhaps wouldn't be politically correct to ask them to behave in a respectful manner!!!!!!!!
45

Duncan in Edinburgh,

08/04/2009 11:50:50
#44, #46 You must have missed the brou-ha-ha when the council went the length of the Royal Mile slapping fines and removal orders on oversized advertising and unlicensed displays. They got stick for that too. They can't really win, can they.

 

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