We don’t want more boarded-up buildings

My first thought is that the enforcement team are [or should be] enforcing the rules that are given to them, so I don’t blame them – they are only following the views of our elected officials. I certainly don’t blame Michael and Sarah Drake; they appear to have a vision of how their little empire should look and we could do with more people in Leamington with a vision of how parts or all of the town should look although I do appreciate the need for some guidance; we don’t want every building to be white or magnolia and we don’t want every building to be red. Red would not be acceptable in Clarendon Square but it does not seem to be out of place in High Street.

I am concerned that Mr Drake was told to repaint the frontage or face a fine of £20,000, or was this to do with the noise that he admitted was a problem on the first weekend? Is this threat of a fine a good way to encourage a cooperative attitude with the council? The pub opened in June last year, why has it become a problem now? Also, I have noticed that within 100 metres of the pub Mercia News has a red frame as does the Red Fort Indian takeaway, the Wah Kee Chinese takeaway and the Delhi Palace Indian Restaurant; surely these businesses are in the conservation area as well? Further along the road we have the Oak Inn pub that was painted white with a good deal of red edging but these days it appears to be an awful shade of pink. It is also closed and boarded up and on one of our main roads into town – not a good advert! The Clarendon Tavern in Russell Street that closed in 1968 was such a deep red that it was known locally as the Blood Bucket. Is red for a pub now a banned colour?

It is said that Mr Drake was told to change the name and then this was retracted. Either the council have the power to do this or they don’t and I hope it is the latter. Mr Drake says that he has been told to remove the image of Queen Victoria. Even old style licensing magistrates didn’t dictate conditions regarding the name of a pub or the signage.

The Pig and Fiddle was closed until Michael Drake took it on and it is unusual for some pubs to reopen; we only have to look at the Black Horse, the Debonair, and the Prince of Wales so I hope that he can make a go of it and doesn’t have to close.

I would like to see as many clean, tidy, well run, successful businesses in the town as possible. Can I suggest that all those concerned get together and sort this out amicably. We certainly don’t want another boarded up building. - Allan Jennings, via email.