DARK TRADER: Cheltenham restaurant forced to leave black visage behind
By Laura Enfield | 17th January 2025
Bosses of a Cheltenham restaurant have been ordered to leave the 'dark side' after losing an appeal over a 2021 paint job.

Owners of Bao+BBQ changed the facade from white to black more than three years ago and said it made the street look more "vibrant".
But the paint job was illegal as they had not applied for permission from Cheltenham Borough Council.
They have now been told the colour is harmful to the town's Regency heritage and not in-keeping with its characteristic paler buildings.
Haribor Rahman and Michael Raphel took over the grade II listed building at 3 Regent Street after Japanese restaurant Koj closed. They repainted it Farrow and Ball Railings 31 in March 2021.

The change was only picked up on by enforcement officers in 2023 after the restaurant bosses unsuccessfully applied for a pavement A board.
The owners submitted a retrospective application in February 2024, stating there had been no complaints about the paintwork and it looked smarter than its paler neighbours.
A statement by Conault Design on their behalf said Regent Street was not the "typical formal Regency terrace" with traditional solicitors or accountants and had a more mixed commercial character.
It argued the darker facades of Bao+BBQ and the Whittle Taps gave a "more urban vibrant feel" and added texture to the "café culture, after theatre and vibrant night life".

Council officers said the change had been made without listed building consent- an offence under the Planning Act 1990.
Their report said it was an "incongruous alteration" which did not match the "muted colouring" of other listed Regency buildings within Cheltenham.
"The proposed black colour is considered to harm the significance of the listed building, the listed group in which it sits and the setting of neighbouring listed buildings," it concluded.
The council's refusal has now been backed by the Planning Inspectorate.
Its report acknowledged there were other darker facades in the town but they were mainly on the ground floor and paler colours still "predominate".
It said there was no "substantive evidence " that the black Bao+BBQ facade was a "key factor" to the vitality of the street .
It concluded that the colour "stands out as a dominant and incongruous feature" and harmed the listed building and Central Conservation Area.
Chris Gomm, head of development management, enforcement and compliance for Cheltenham Borough Council, said: "We are proud of Cheltenham's rich heritage and beautiful architecture and we all have a duty to care for our historic buildings.
"3 Regent Street, Cheltenham, is a listed building and is part of a terrace dating from 1820-1830s.
"The uniformity of colour is an important part of a building's character and we will be seeking for the repainted colour to be neutral in tone and much paler than the current shade.
"We'd like to encourage anyone thinking of making changes to a listed building or a building within our conservation area, to come and talk to us before starting work. We can discuss their plans and explain any restrictions which may be in place to avoid a similar situation and unnecessary time and costs."
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