Homeowner painted her front door pink and was then told to get planning consent

The homeowner must not apply for planning permission for her pink door/ Image of North Berwick (Kevin McRoberts)

The stunned resident was told last week she must make a retrospective application to her local authority in East Lothian following the solitary objection to the new hue.

Council planners were alerted to the change in colour of the woman’s front door in the conservation area of North Berwick after a neighbour informed them.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was left shocked by the move, and pointed out that other residents in her area have painted their front doors red, yellow and blue.

She described the new paintwork colour of her own door as “coral”.

Other ‘strong-coloured front doors’

The homeowner has now applied for planning permission.

She said: “I had no idea that I needed planning permission for this and assumed it would be OK as there are many other strong-coloured front doors in our local streets.

“Our door was chipped and neglected and I was aiming to make it appear smarter – it very much ties in with my design aesthetic, and these colourful front doors are becoming increasingly popular in both conservation areas and outwith.”

The woman also pointed out that the front door of her house in the coastal town is not visible from the street because of high hedges and its corner location.

The homeowner added she had been told by East Lothian Council planning officers that they had only received one complaint about the new bright colour of the door.

She said: “We invested considerable money in upgrading the front door and the gilded lettering and have received many compliments.”

As well as producing photographs of other properties with boldly painted doors, the applicant pointed out that one neighbouring house even has pink rendering on its walls.

Similar incident

The planning application is currently being considered by East Lothian’s council officers.

The strange tale comes five years after a similar incident in nearby Dunbar, when the local fashion school also painted its front door bright pink.

Again one complaint was received by the local council and Jacqui Burke, the school’s owner, was forced to apply for retrospective planning permission.

Locals backed the school’s bold move and blasted the complainer who had described the pink door as “a vile colour”.

Ms Burke, who has designed outfits for world-famous singers including Cher and Gloria Estefan, was eventually allowed to keep the door new colour despite her neighbour’s objections.

Homeowner painted her front door pink and was then told to get planning consent - after one neighbour complained