External Painting

External painting of Commercial Properties

The prior consent of the Heritage Foundation will often be required for proposals to paint the outside walls of properties in Letchworth Garden City, as such proposals can have a marked effect on the character and appearance of the property.

This guidance relates to proposals to paint both rendered and brick properties. Any alterations to properties should be designed to be in harmony with their original design and character, and appropriate to the area.

Walls are the main structural fabric of a building and the painting of originally unpainted surfaces can be highly damaging to the surface beneath. This is particularly true when waterproof paints are used, as these can trap moisture in the brickwork, potentially leading to the breakdown of the wall surface. Similarly the removal of unsuitable coverings can be damaging to the surface. As such, the painting of external walls is generally resisted by the Heritage Foundation.

Sometimes businesses are keen to paint the outside of their property in order to disguise the mix of different natural renders used on the property over time, perhaps where windows and doors have been bricked up, or patching has been required after windows have been replaced. Re-rendering in these cases would be the most appropriate course of action.

There may be circumstances where the appearance of a property may be improved by the painting of the external walls. However, this is unlikely to overcome the impact on a cohesive group, such as a row of terraced properties, where there is likely to be a uniform treatment.

It is therefore unlikely that consent for the painting of a property will be given, unless it can be demonstrated that this would have a beneficial impact on the appearance of the property.

Where a property has already been painted it should be repainted in a colour to match the original or, if this is not known, the most appropriate colour. In all cases, this is likely to be a natural colour such as cream, white or pale yellow, however the colour of the properties in the immediate vicinity should also be considered.