Savoy Cinema's garish paint-job annoys residents (From Gazette)

Savoy Cinema's garish paint-job annoys residents

7:30am Monday 20th July 2009 in

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A FORMER cinema’s colourful makeover has been given a frosty reception.

The facade of the old Savoy picturehouse, in Trinity Street, Halstead, has been given a gaudy new bright blue, orange and yellow paint job.

But some people in the town don’t like the new colour scheme and want the cinema’s owner to re-think it.

Jackie Pell, Halstead Town councillor, said: “It’s as if they had a job lot of odd paint. It looks like Toytown. It’s absolutely awful!

It’s as if they had a job lot of odd paint. It looks like Toytown. It’s absolutely awful!

Jackie Pell, Halstead Town councillor

“I have had a lady stop me in the street and ask me what I was going to do about it. It needs to be seen to be believed.”

Halstead resident Sue Rawlinson agreed.

She said: “The Savoy is a fine old building which has fallen into disrepair over the years and it seems sad it has not been restored sympathetically to its former glory.

“Painting the building in these garish colours, in my opinion, does absolutely nothing to enhance this entrance to the town.”

Steve Kirby, chairman of the Halstead Chamber of Trade, is also unhappy with the paint job.

He said: “They’re fluorescent colours and very loud. It isn’t very in keeping with the rest of the town.”

Although the building is in a conservation area, it is not listed and planning permission was not needed simply to repaint it.

Tessa Lambert, development control manager at Braintree Council, said: “It’s in a conservation area, but that doesn’t bring extra controls on the paint colour. We’re not in a position to take any formal action.

“However, we have raised the issue with the owner and asked whether they might consider using a different colour. We have put them in touch with our conservation advisor. It’s not a situation where we can require change. It’s a question of taste and this owner looks at it as acceptable.”

The cinema was built and opened in 1916 as the Colne Valley Cinema, later being renamed the Savoy. It closed in 1963 and was then used as a Chinese takeaway.

The Gazette has been unable to contact the owner.