Flats overlooking Chester weir are no longer in the pink after receiving a fabulous make-over believed to have cost about £40,000.
For many years it was widely acknowledged that while the view from the inside of the distinctive looking Salmon Leap in Handbridge was spectacular, the view from the outside was rather more questionable.
Now critics could be silenced after the £36,000 ‘Sicilian Sunset’ paint job was replaced by a stone colour, which is arguably more in keeping with the surroundings.
Residents, who own the freehold on the blocks, voted for the previous colour scheme after acquiring the lease in 2002/03 and apparently the shade had nothing to do with the colour of salmon. This time around Salmon Leap Management Company decided to call in award-winning Chester architects Donald Insall Associates.
Director Clive Bond explained: “Last time the colour was by committee and no one liked it. That’s why we sought professional advice.
“It wasn’t just the residents going out and choosing it.
“We went through all the correct channels including the conservation department at the council and it’s been paid for by the residents.”
Tony Barton, chairman of Donald Insall Associates, said: “We worked hard with the residents of this prominent Chester landmark and took inspiration from the soft stone hues on the historic Bridge Gate, which complements the red sandstone of the City Walls.”
However, Paul Eeles, who owns Riverside Takeaway and Chester Boat Hire, operating on the opposite bank at The Groves said some customers had commented that they ‘missed’ the pink, proving the old adage: you can’t please all of the people all of time.
The style of the blocks, built in 1967-68, were designed by Liverpool architects Gilling Dod and are liked by some but not all.
