DEFIANT residents faced with an ultimatum of reverting the colour of their front doors or be hit with “fines” totalling more than £15,000 a year are refusing to back down ahead of the looming deadline.
Tomorrow, November 17, has been dubbed “White Door D-Day” on the Hampstead Drive estate in Whitefield, Greater Manchester – but the colourful door rebels have not reached for their paint brushes today.
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Retired IT salesman Frank Borson, 79, who changed his front door to a fashionable green just a couple of weeks ago after living in the property for 18 years, is among those who will not change their door colour back to white.
Six households on Hampstead Drive estate have repainted their white door to colours such as sky blue, dark green and maroon while others have fitted new doors in a different style.
The white door rebels have support from other locals, who think the clampdown is lunacy after people have lived in their homes for nearly 20 years.
Baffled local Frank received an email from the property management company on the estate last month revealing a £42-a-day administration fee that could be imposed if he didn’t repaint his original door white by tomorrow.
The daily admin fee would work out at £15,330 per year if Frank fails to change the door back to white as the change of colour is allegedly a “nuisance” according to an email sent to him.
Frank, who has lived in the four-bed townhouse virtually since they were built almost two decades ago, said: “It’s madness thinking people will change their doors. Nobody has got the paint pots out – it’s totally potty thinking anyone would.
“I painted the door a couple of weeks ago and after 18 years living here it needed a lick of paint. I’ve redecorated indoors as well as it needed doing.
“Since I’ve moved in I’ve seen nothing to say that I have to have a white door. How does the colour of your front door cause a nuisance? That’s just barmy.
“Is it really a crime to change the colour of your front door? I don’t think so, this is just crazy and driven by some very small minded people.
“If it was in the deeds then that would be fair enough, but it’s not so the door is remaining green.”
One resident added: “It is beyond ridiculous – the houses with the new doors look fantastic and no right minded person, surely cares about the colour of someone else’s front door.
“We’re in Whitefield, not some Communist dictatorship that wants everyone to be exactly the same. Is individuality now a crime? It is appalling if other residents are behind these ridiculous complaints.”
Retired teacher Andrea Tobias, who lives on Heythrop Close off Hampstead Drive, has backed her neighbours – branding the rule ‘preposterous’.
“We changed our door about five or six years ago. We are not under the property management company, but all the doors were the same when we moved in 19 years ago,” the 65-year-old said.
‘PREPOSTEROUS’
“Everyone down here has since changed their doors. Surely you can do what you want to do to your own home? The new doors look good and are in keeping.
“It’s preposterous that a retired gentleman like Frank is being told he cannot paint his door. All the decent residents round here are behind them.
“Why on earth can’t we let people live and let live. The management company don’t control everyone.”
Frank was given a deadline of November 17 to carry out the work or face a £42 per day “administration charge” in an email sent to locals by Manchester Residential Management Ltd, the company which looks after the estate.
The message read: “The colours of front doors across site should remain as originally installed (white) to keep uniformity across the development.
“The green door would constitute a breach of the TP1 Transfer Document as this would be considered to be causing a nuisance.
“Please arrange for the door to be reinstated to its original style and colour as a matter of urgency.’’
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