RESIDENTS are feeling 'blue' over a new look for an historic Corfe Castle pub.

The Castle Inn at East Street has been granted planning consent by Dorset Council for new signage and external lighting together with a short wall around the front.

The changes will include a paint job on the outside walls, from white to a shade of blue, known as ‘vast lake’, which not everyone is happy with.

New external lighting has been described as “a classic sleek design” in warm white, angled to avoid any kind of light pollution, according to a planning agent acting for the business.

The changes have met with mixed reviews, some residents liking the changes, others saying they see no need for the alterations.

Said one: “Why paint the exterior in a cold uninviting blue colour which seems totally out of keeping with the rest of the village? The Castle Inn has always looked welcoming as it is.”

A similar view has come from Corfe Castle Parish Council who say the colour is “not sympathetic to the surrounding buildings or the street scene” and have formally objected.

Ward councillor Cherry Brooks, says the proposals “look a little corporate” and said that while she welcomes a refurbishment it should remain sympathetic to the conservation area.