A ROW has broken out over the look of one of Saltaire’s most prominent buildings, with its owners claiming a colour change could jeopardise its “already precarious” financial future.

In June, Bradford Council approved plans to spend “tens of thousands” of pounds to replace all outside doors and windows at the grade-II listed Victoria Hall, part of the World Heritage Site.

The fittings are currently painted in a cream colour, but a retrospective condition was added stating that all external joinery must now have a green finish.

Moira Fuller, who manages the venue on behalf of its owners the Salt Foundation, said the new colour scheme would put people off using the hall as a wedding venue, an income stream that generated £81,000 last year.

She said: “We have serious concerns that the move to change the window and door surrounds from their pale cream colour to a dark bottle green will have a negative impact on the feel of the venue to the key audience we are trying to reach. In a nutshell, we’ll look more like a school or council building than a wedding venue.

“We ask that we are allowed to maintain the existing colour of the paintwork and not gamble with a measure that will very likely have a negative impact on our finances, when we, and the monies available to invest in maintaining the building, are already in a precarious financial position.”

John Briggs, chairman of the Salt Foundation Trustees, added: “The windows and doors have been cream for as long as I can remember, not hospital green. People want to come to a building that is welcoming and warm. It is not a town hall, it is a community facility that we want people to use and feel happy in. If we have to appeal this decision, then we will do.”

Confirming its refusal to vary or remove the planning condition, Julian Jackson, Bradford Council’s assistant director for planning, transportation, and highways, wrote: “The Council consider that the use of green paint is vital to give a unified appearance to the public buildings. It clearly defines the grander public buildings from the rest of the village and gives the symmetry originally intended by the architects of the model village. It is considered that the use of a different coloured paint would be harmful to the listed building, conservation area and world heritage site. The harm is not outweighed by any public benefit, and therefore the condition will not be varied.”