The owner of the building is threatened with prison for painting the facade pink (4 photos)

A homeowner from Canterbury, Kent, UK, is facing jail time for painting a 16th-century building a “tacky” pink. The local council insists that the building's façade must be repainted.





Initially, Christopher Neville received permission to repaint the building, which houses a nail salon and hair salon, a lighter shade of pink. But he was recently sent a warning from Canterbury City Council saying he would have to pay a hefty fine or go to jail if he didn't change the color of his paint.



The fact is that Neville violated rules that are aimed at preventing the disfigurement of historical buildings. In 2021, he painted the façade a bright salmon color without obtaining permission or approving the shade. Officials said it was not in keeping with the downtown style.





He was eventually given permission by the council to repaint it an approved color (a lighter shade of pink) in July 2023 after a trial, and he had a deadline of July 24 this year to complete the work. However, a month before his sentence was due to expire, the man received a warning from the council, threatening legal action including imprisonment.

“I received the letter the same day I was painting the shops in the color approved by the council,” says Neville. “I was told that if I didn’t make changes, I could go to jail or get a fine. They could have just sent me a polite email asking how the paint job was going. But they use a sledgehammer to crack the nut even when the nut doesn’t crack.”



Neville claims the council is overstepping its authority and that its actions were the result of incompetence on the part of officials. The city council says its crackdown on overly bright, garish storefronts on high streets has been well received by the public, but admits officials should have carried out a final check before sending a warning letter to Neville.