Opposition to Curtains Shop Racially Motivated?

THE row over Henley's controversial "purple shop" took a new turn this week when it was suggested that opposition to it might be racially motivated, writes Philippa Mingins.

The public participation session of Monday night's meeting of Beaudesert and Henley Joint Parish Council was taken over solely by the issue. It follows an article in last week's Herald reporting that the shop was to close because the proprietors felt "ousted out of the town" by the parish council.

The article also spoke of the offensive comments the proprietors of Bespoke Curtains and Blinds of Henley had had to endure from two parish councillors who allegedly interrupted a private meeting with the shop's owners and Stratford District Council earlier this month.

The two parish councillors in question were Cllr Chris Milsom and Cllr Carsina Goodman. They claimed they had been representing the parish council at the meeting.

Proprietor Zak Miah told the newspaper they had not been invited and that Cllr Mrs Goodman had gone as far as to say it was her town and he was not welcome here.

A number of parish councillors have been vehement in their opposition to the colour the shop has been painted since it opened in High Street in May 2009.

Joint business partner of Bespoke Curtains and Blinds of Henley, Linda Meredith, was first to take to the floor to confirm that the report in the Stratford Herald had been one hundred per cent accurate.

She said that they had never wanted this to become personal but at that private meeting it had become personal because of uninvited councillors. The meeting was not the one agreed upon in December to be held between the shop's proprietors, the district council and the parish council.

Ms Meredith said that the parish councillors had expressed some very negative views and made some very offensive comments - all of which had been witnessed by the district council enforcement officer in attendance - and she had felt extremely upset about it.

"I am here to bring the focus back onto the exterior of the shop. We need your support," she added.

Ms   Meredith's   comments received a round of applause from several residents in attendance.

Sue Osborne, of The Croft, voiced her fears that the parish council's behaviour was racially motivated. She said she wondered how Mr Miah's claim they felt "ousted out of the town" sat with the parish plan of 2004, section 7.4(b) which states that the parish council should seek to encourage and attract business and employment to the town. The phrase "he was not welcome here" was completely abhorrent and incomprehensible.

Ms Osbourne concluded by saying that her initial thought had been that this was a regrettable example of racial discrimination.

Cllr Les Goodman, chairman of the parish council and Cllr Mrs Goodman's husband, said that the issue would be put on the agenda for the next meeting.

Meanwhile, members of the district council's planning and regulation committee agreed at a meeting on Monday to try to negotiate a compromise with Bespoke Curtains and Blinds over the shop frontage. If this does not work within three months, enforcement action will be taken. The nature of the compromise has yet to be decided.

Report by Philippa Mingins - Stratford Herald – 21st January 2010