The proprietor of Henley’s controversial “purple shop” has announced plans to sell up after feeling “ousted out” by the parish council. Zak Miah, who runs Bespoke Curtains and Blinds of Henley, told the Herald that he had been treated “very unpleasantly” by Beaudesert and Henley Joint Parish Council. Many council members have been vehement in their opposition to the bold colour he has painted his shop, which opened in May. They believe the colour purple does not fit in with the conservation area.
Henley resident Mr Miah said matters had come to a head on 4th January when he had met with an officer from Stratford District Council’s conservation department to discuss the best way forward. What should have been a “closed meeting” at his shop in High Street was interrupted by two members of the parish council, he said.
Cllr Carsina Goodman and Cllr Chris Milsom told him they were there representing the parish council. But Mr Miah said they had not been invited and their behaviour was less than acceptable. He said Cllr Mrs Goodman had continually interrupted him as he tried to talk to the conservation officer and had begun shouting and making some very unpleasant comments out in the street. He said there were customers and other members of the public around and it had been extremely embarrassing. In the end he and the council officer had had to go inside the shop and shut the door on them.
Mr Miah continued: “I feel we are being ousted out of the town. There is no fight left in us. We are actively looking for new premises either in Leamington or we will consider other buildings in the High Street in Henley, which are not listed.”
According to Mr Miah, Cllr Mrs Goodman went so far as to say it was her town and he was not welcome here.
“It was a real out of body experience. This was just the last straw. We can’t stay here now. If that is the sort of comment we’re going to get then we’re not going to continue putting up with it.”
Parish Council Clerk Jenny Walsh said that two parish councillors had attended a meeting on Monday with the conservation officer from the district council and the proprietor of the curtain shop. The parish councillors had attended to represent the views of residents in regard to the shop premises' infringement of conservation rules. "The proprietors had attended a parish council in December where they had sought the parish council's support in discussions with the district council regarding this matter," Ms Walsh added.
Mr Miah had addressed councillors at a parish council meeting at the beginning of December saying the last thing he wanted to do was become alienated from the community. He even offered to change the colour of the shop after hearing that a number of complaints had been made about his shop at previous council meetings.
He had explained that from the moment they opened in May they had had a problem with signage as their shop was dwarfed by Somerfield and One Stop either side. They changed the frontage of the shop to make it more prominent.
However, not all councillors had been opposed to the "purple shop" at the meeting. Cllr David Hadley said he would rather have a shop than an empty shop. Cllr George Matheou said the parish council should not be in the business of telling local shops how to market themselves.
•Members of the district council's Planning and Regulation Committee are being recommended to give the go ahead to a Listed Building Enforcement Notice being served on Bespoke Curtains and Blinds of Henley requiring a schedule of works including the removal of two unauthorised advertisements and the front elevation to be repainted.
According to a report to go before the committee next Monday the attachment of signage to the curtain shop and the painting of the front elevation was carried out without advertisement consent and listed building consent.
Report by Philippa Mingins - Stratford Herald - 14th January 2010
Photos Henley NEWS Online
No comments:
Post a Comment