Roof Tile Sourcing Controversy Centres On Coastal Town -

A COASTAL TOWN near Brighton – renowned for its art deco style architecture – has become the centre of a roof tile controversy.

Boasting many art deco ‘ocean liner’ style architectural gems, including a recently restored lido designed by architect RWH Jones, many buildings in the coastal town of Saltdean sport distinctive green profiled roof tiles, giving the area its character.

But sourcing the green glazed clay roof tiles has become central to a planning controversy after pub brewery Greene King made a second appeal against planning restrictions.

The brewery giant says it cannot find replacement green roof tiles to re-roof one of its Saltdean pubs.

Roof Tile Sourcing Controversy

The Spanish Lady public house in Saltdean was refused permission to replace its 140m2 1930s green roof tiles with terracotta clay tiles in February 2023 after Saltdean councillors said “the green roofs were a heritage feature and need to be protected.”

Brighton and Hove City Council Planning Committee refused the brewery’s application to replace the roof tiles, commenting: “The change in tiles from green glazed roof tiles to clay roof tiles would contribute negatively to the sense of place of Saltdean.”

Options to source reclaimed green glazed clay tiles were then explored to re-roof the leaking roof of the Spanish Lady.

But in a recent appeal to the Planning Committee against its 2023 decision, Greene King says it is “not cost-effective to replace the complete roofs with the green glazed pan tiles.”

Greene King, which owns 2,700 UK pubs, added: “Extensive cost and sourcing exercises have been carried out to no avail”. It adds, if the roof is not fixed, the pub will have to close.

Successful Replacement

Independent Councillor Bridget Fishleigh said: “Greene King, which owns The Spanish Lady, posted a pre-tax profit of £45.2m for 2023. In 2019 Greene King was bought for £4.6bn takeover by a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, CK Asset Holdings, founded by Hong Kong’s richest man Li Ka-shing.”

The councillor added that she knew of other properties in Saltdean that have successfully replaced their glazed green roof tiles using a local supplier: Clay and Slate Roofing Products, in Southampton.

Saltdean Community Association, a registered charity, commented: “The distinctive green-tiled roofs of Saltdean are of historical and architectural interest – and add character and interest to our street scene. We know of at least one individual home owner in Saltdean who has managed to replace green tiles successfully. Given that the owner of The Spanish Lady is a wealthy off-shore company, we reject the claim that it cannot afford to do this also.”

This month the Planning Committee began consulting on the appeal before it makes a final decision.

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