An East Lothian cafe given a new look after it was taken over by new owners has won the fight to keep it.
Rocksalt opened a branch in Haddington High Street earlier this year but fell foul of planners after turning the exterior of the building from red to grey.
The owners were ordered to apply for retrospective planning permission for the new facade as well as needing listed building consent.
Customers and local residents took to social media to praise the new look of the building which had previously been home to another cafe and had a red front with black window frames.
A report by planning officers said the new paintwork was grey and teal but did not appear ‘harmful’ to other buildings.
They said: “The re-painting of the building does not appear as harmfully prominent, intrusive or incongruous within its setting as it is seen in relation to a number of properties situated along High Street that feature painted front elevations.
“Therefore, the painting of the front elevation of the property is not harmful to the character or appearance of the property, the listed building of which it forms part of, the surrounding area or to the Haddington Conservation Area.”
There were no public objections to the change of colour scheme. People took to social media to support the new cafe with claims it looked ‘fantastic’ and ‘improved the street’.
One supporter said: “The council should be holding it up as a shining example of how the High Street could look. Too many shabby building fronts are there.”
The cafe has been granted listed building consent and planning approval for the new look.
By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
