Rainbow canopy colours on Bristol view to be removed

A rainbow canopy that was put up on part of an iconic Bristol view will be re-painted after a failed battle with the council’s planning department.

Ken Aylmer, 53, was told by Bristol City Council last September the colourful design on his Grade II listed Clifton property had an “adverse impact” on the conservation area and must go.

Despite proposing a new set of colours as a compromise on a pre-application, Mr Aylmer told the BBC he received a “flat no” without any feedback.

The city council said it was “committed to the preservation of the city’s historic assets”.

The canopy can be seen on the Georgian buildings close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

But Mr Aylmer said he will restore the canopy’s colours to a green and white palette in the next few weeks.

Mr Aylmer and his family painted the rainbow canopy in October 2022 on the spur of the moment while they were having the roof repaired.

He said they painted it in those colours as one of his daughters is “an advocate for all things queer” and his wife had recovered from cancer treatment.

After being told it must go, Mr Aylmer proposed new colours that he said were “more subtle but kept the playfulness”, adding it would have “fit in as a statement of what Bristol’s values are”.

But he said the council’s planning department also refused this. He added that the council did not reply to his request for justification of the refusal.

“We have reached the end of our tether, it’s a bit like banging your head against a brick wall,” he said.

“There has been huge delays. The only good thing about the delays is that the original design we did has stayed up there now for a year-and-a-half.”

Mr Aylmer added: “I hope that’s brought a little bit of joy to a few people’s lives on their commute in the morning, or people looking up and feeling it represents something that means something to them.

“It’s sad it’s not going to go through, but [I’m] probably glad to see the back of the headache.”

The city council said Mr Aylmer’s pre-application was refused because it “failed to adequately address the reasons the initial submission was refused”.

A spokesperson added: “While we understand the reasoning behind changing the canopy, the Paragon is a Grade II listed building and is part of one of Bristol’s most iconic views.

“The alterations made to the canopy not only impacted the historic and cultural significance of the entire terrace, but they were also unauthorised and illegal.

“We are pleased that the resident has since agreed to return the canopy to its original colours.”