Local Hero villagers call for conservation status review

Some residents in the Scottish village where the movie Local Hero was filmed want its conservation status to be removed as they say the rules make them feel like they "live in a museum". Pennan - and its red phone box - featured in the 1983 Bill Forsyth movie starring Burt Lancaster. Its conservation status means that villagers have to follow various guidelines if they wish to make upgrades to their homes - like satellite dishes or more energy efficient windows. Aberdeenshire Council's Banff and Buchan area committee is now seeking a full conservation status review. In the film Local Hero, representatives of a US petro-chemical giant - who are seeking to build a refinery in a coastal village - are won over by the gentler rhythms of the local life. Members of the committee considered a report on the upkeep of the coastal village. A similar report previously went before the committee, but councillors asked that further consultation be carried out with the community first. In its latest document, Aberdeenshire Council describes Pennan as a "unique and remarkable" fishing village that is "set within a dramatic location". It is said to have "one of the most distinctive and recognisable