Rainbow church upsets residents

A church of many colours

People living near a Methodist church in south Wales have seen red after a makeover left it painted with all the colours of the rainbow.

The church's new blue, red, yellow, purple, orange and silver colour-scheme has not proved popular with neighbours on the Sandfields estate in Port Talbot.

Many of them believe the makeover may be bright - but that it is certainly not beautiful.

This has been going on for some weeks and we are getting fed up with the complaints

Rev Gordon James

Councillor Bill Harris has received a number of complaints after Sandfields Methodist Church was painted.

He said: "I must admit I think it looks terrible.

"The multi-coloured paintwork has really spoiled the appearance of the church and spoiled the appearance of the estate.

"These are the sort of colours you would expect to find in the Caribbean - the church used to look respectable but now it has lost its character."

The modern-style church was built in 1967 in brick while the housing estate grew up.

It is only two miles from the traditional stone-built St Mary's Parish Church whose bell tower dates from the 16th century.

'Fed up'

The church commissioned a local artist to re-paint the building's exterior as part of a local regeneration project.

They hoped to attract more young people to the church and brighten up the estate.

Rev Gordon James said: "It's a community scheme to brighten the place up.

"This has been going on for some weeks and we are getting fed up with the complaints.

"We are sorry if there have been any problems with the paint - in due course we are going to review the whole matter."

Neath Port Talbot Council planning officer Cliff Patten said little could be done.

He said: "A change to the external appearance of a building is not a development that requires planning consent.

"Conditions always relate to the materials used and not the colour scheme."