Owner says colour row is 'laughable' as guidelines show pink door

An Edinburgh woman says it is “laughable” that she has been ordered to change the colour of her pink front door when official guidelines feature a door painted a similar colour.

Miranda Dickson, 48, got an enforcement notice about her door in the New Town.

But it has emerged that guidelines on the appearance of properties in the area includes an image of a pink door.

The city council said its example was a “muted pale pink colour” and that Ms Dickson’s door was “bright pink”.

Ms Dickson had spent 18 months renovating her childhood home, which is in a World Heritage conservation site, after her parents died.

The mother-of-two, who is a brand ambassador in the drinks industry, moved back to Edinburgh last year after working in the US for nine years.

She has been told that she has until 7 January to change the colour of her front door after a complaint led to a council enforcement notice.

Ms Dickson said she had looked up the council’s guidelines online before she painted the door.

She saw a picture of a pink door, and decided that she would also paint her door pink.

She said she was angry and upset when she was later issued with the enforcement notice, which says she could be fined up to £20,000.

Ms Dickson was initially unable to find the advice that she had originally consulted, but has now tracked down the local authority’s Conservation Area Character Appraisal.

The guidance includes a picture of a pink door as an example of best practice for painting doors in Edinburgh’s New Town.

She described the situation as a “silly mess” and said it was “laughable” that she was being ordered to repaint her door.

Ms Dickson said that when she first received a warning letter from the council earlier this year, she asked which colours would be allowed.

The chief planning officer wrote back telling her to “stick to traditional colours” like dark red, dark grey, sage green, dark blue or black.

But then she received a council enforcement letter in October telling her to paint her door white.

“It’s not like my door is in a bad condition,” she said.

“It costs a lot of money to have the front door painted because they are very large. It’s not a quick job.

“The council needs to act with more clarity over paint colour.”

Ms Dickson – who has taken pictures of several brightly painted doors in her neighbourhood – says her door is light pink.

A spokeswoman for City of Edinburgh Council said: “The door in the guidance is a traditional muted pale pink colour more in keeping with the historic character of the New Town.

“The enforcement notice requires the door, which has been painted bright pink, to revert to its previous white colour.

“The owner has the right to appeal.”