Emmental village complains about "non-local" color Orange-red balcony railing must be repainted
A balcony railing in bright orange-red is causing trouble in a village in Upper Emmental. The heritage authorities classify the color as "alien to the area". The dispute ends in legal proceedings.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Owners carried out alterations, including an eye-catching balcony railing, without planning permission.
- The color of the railing was classified as "unsettling" and "out of place", beige or grey would be acceptable.
- The railing has to be repainted and the owners have to pay CHF 1,000 in legal costs.
An orange-red balcony railing triggers discussions in an Oberemmental village. Homeowners had carried out several conversion works without planning permission - including the installation of windows, the fitting of a sun blind and the installation of an eye-catching balcony railing.
The house is located in building group A, an area with protected and historic buildings, as reported by theBerner Zeitung newspaper. The owners had carried out the alterations without the necessary building permit. The municipality became aware of this and demanded a subsequent planning application. While most of the changes were accepted, the orange-red balcony railing met with resistance. The monument preservation authorities considered it to be disruptive to the townscape.
In its statement, the monument preservation authority explained that the color of the balcony railing does not harmonize with the surrounding historic buildings. "The balcony appears as a foreign body and does not fit into the ensemble of traditional buildings", the report states according to the "Berner Zeitung".
Complaint rejected
Beige or gray would be better suited to preserving the townscape. The municipality set the owners a deadline to make the changes and threatened to take substitute measures if the request was not implemented.
The owners lodged an appeal with the cantonal building and traffic directorate (BVD). They argued that their house was located in a mixed zone and that other buildings in the area also had red elements. However, the BVD rejected the complaint. The building inventory, which assigns the property to building group A, was decisive. "The striking color does not fit into the historical ensemble," said the authority.
The final verdict is that the railings must be repainted and the owners will bear the legal costs of around 1,000 francs.
