Owners of Grade II listed resort face a £100,000 invoice after paint job

The house owners of a Grade II listed resort that counts George Clooney and Helena Bonham-Carter amongst its visitors are dealing with a £100,000 invoice after portray the outside brown.

The George in Rye is recurrently voted among the many greatest resorts within the nation and has performed host to family names that embrace Matt Damon, Ian McKellen and Kevin Costner.

But now house owners Alex and Katie Clarke are locked in a planning battle after they painted the outside of the constructing, which dates again to 1575, in a lightweight brown and have been then denied retrospective permission by Rother District Council.

Situated on a cobbled excessive road within the medieval city of Rye, East Sussex, the George was beforehand a lightweight gray color however was repainted in 2021 after a devastating hearth in summer time 2019.

The Clarkes say they submitted proposals for the brand new color to the council’s conservation officer and say they acquired an e-mail again which stated: ‘I’ve lastly had an opportunity to take a look at all of the paperwork regarding the façade and ballroom, and assist all of it!

‘It actually does seem that the extra analysis was all very a lot value it.

‘I’m certain the brand new color scheme to the façade will maintain Rye busy for some time and will even be the harbinger of a brand new color tradition!’

After receiving the assist by e-mail, the George was painted alongside different main works to get the constructing again into use as shortly as potential following the hearth.

However, Rye Conservation Society kicked up a fuss, saying in a letter in August 2021 that they felt that they had been ‘saved out of the loop and apparently denied any say within the matter’. 

A retrospective utility for the color change was then denied permission, leaving the pub in a ‘susceptible place’. 

The letter, from Julian Luckett, chairman of the conservation society’s planning committee, added: ‘One space of main concern to the Society pertains to the redecoration of the principal façades to the High Street and Lion Street.

‘This seems to have been accomplished and it’s understood that the dismantling of the scaffolding is about to begin.

‘Our investigation of the paint evaluation report and the historic photographic report is ready out under and is the idea for our sturdy objection to the paint scheme which has apparently been adopted, and to the way wherein this important change to the streetscape of Rye and the Conservation Area has been handled.

‘Whilst the Society absolutely understands the industrial and social necessity of bringing The George again into operation, it can’t and shouldn’t be in a kind that we imagine is traditionally incorrect and can considerably have an effect on the listed constructing itself and the setting of the Conservation Area.’

Mounting a ‘Save Our Colour’ marketing campaign, the Clarkes requested for assist saying they’d by no means have spent the cash portray the constructing in the event that they did not assume it had assist from the council.

They say {that a} heritage paint marketing consultant instructed them the George was painted in a spread of colors within the nineteenth century, together with an analogous one to the sunshine brown it’s painted now.

They stated in a press release: ‘The George has had a retrospective planning utility for its exterior paint color refused – which has left us with no choice however to enchantment formally.

‘We usually are not ones to courtroom public consideration, but when we’re compelled to re-paint the George you’ll all hear about this anyway, therefore our strategy to you at present.

‘There are many buildings in Rye’s citadel that aren’t white… white/gray is just not essentially “correct” as a result of it was painted that the majority not too long ago; it is a matter of non-public style and historic style.

‘Forcing the resort to be re-painted at this stage would trigger disruption to High Street companies and merchants, with intensive scaffolding required and with the necessity to redecorate in the summertime.

‘The George is the city’s predominant employer and if we’re compelled to repaint the constructing, this is able to be at a major price, including monetary strain onto the enterprise which has not too long ago re-opened.

‘Planning charges and repainting works are anticipated to whole within the area of £100,000.

‘The George contributes a substantial quantity by way of further customer spend for retailers, bars, eating places and foods and drinks suppliers within the native economic system.

‘A key employer is being put in danger for the sake of a paint color that we have been inspired to make use of, by the authority who has since refused each functions and now left us in a susceptible place.’

The refurbishment of the George, which boasts 34 individually styled rooms, a Georgian ballroom, and an vintage wig retailer, following the hearth earned it the 2023 Sussex Heritage Award within the industrial class, which the Clarkes say wouldn’t have been given had the color been deemed ‘inappropriate’. 

They continued: ‘Rother’s Conservation Officer on the time insisted that we didn’t re-paint The George its beforehand used grey-white color, and so we adopted a beforehand used color as evidenced by historic samples taken from the constructing and utilizing skilled paint evaluation.

‘This analysis confirmed The George certainly was a spread of colors within the nineteenth century, not only a white or cream palette – with earlier shades of color together with darkish and brown tones.

‘Rye’s High Street at present additionally exhibits the usage of color on painted stucco rendered buildings, woodwork and window frames.

‘The Conservation Officer nevertheless left their place and the council’s view has since modified.

‘The Conservation Officer on the time was below resourced, being given each the position of Conservation Officer and Planning Case Officer on our mission, which isn’t typical for an utility of such complexity.

‘The affect of Covid didn’t assist. This led to delays for plans to be uploaded to the planning portal for public session, with planning permission taking on 15 months to finally come via.

‘Given the difficult nature of the rebuilding mission, we’d by no means have proceeded to color the constructing if we felt it was not supported by the Conservation Officer on the time – so far as we have been involved the paint color had that Officer’s settlement and due to this fact Rother’s full assist – after all of the Officer was performing with two hats, Conservation and Planning.

‘If we had waited for Rother District Council to formally approve the applying, the constructing would have deteriorated additional and we would have liked to get the property repaired and the enterprise open.’

A Rother District Council spokesperson stated: ‘We can verify that an utility for retrospective planning permission in relation to the exterior paint color of The George in Rye was refused.

‘An enchantment has been made to the Secretary of State in opposition to this determination and we’re unable to remark additional while this enchantment is ongoing.’