THE proprietor of Henley's controversial "purple shop" addressed councillors at a meeting of the parish council on Monday night, claiming the last thing he wanted to do was become alienated from the community.
Zak Miah, 'who runs Bespoke Curtains and Blinds of Henley, took his opportunity during the public participation session of Beaudesert and Henley Joint Parish Council to give his side of the story after hearing about a number of complaints being made about his shop at previous council meetings. He even offered to change the colour of the shop if needs be.
Mr Miah said: "We don't want to alienate ourselves from the community. That is the main reason I am here tonight. From the moment we opened in May we have had a problem with signage. We are dwarfed by Somerfield and One Stop. Their frontages are 24ft and we are just 12ft. We changed the colour of the shop to make it a bit more prominent to get it noticed. Every other business in that unit has not succeeded because it is a very small shop front.
"It is distressing for us to find out about the opposition to the colour of the shop.
"We are more than happy to change the colour if you are unhappy. If we haven't got you on board with us we are fighting a losing battle."
Cllr Carsina Goodman stood firm in her opposition to the shop despite Mr Miah's pleas. She said: "You are right opposite listed buildings. It would have been nice if you had come before the council to ask what you could do."
Mr Miah explained that he had spoken to the court leet when he had first arrived and they had even agreed to open the shop. He said he had not been aware of the parish council.
He said he had outlined to Stratford District Council what they had wanted to do and his landlord had also agreed to the plans.
"If your landlord is telling you it is fine, the person you pay the rent to, you think it must be fine," he added.
This was still not explanation enough for Cllr Mrs Goodman who retorted: "You have put awful things outside." In reference to the choice of signage which incorporates a cut-out curtain around the shop window.
Cllr David Hadley said he would rather have a shop than an empty shop.
He continued that younger proprietors were coming into the town and there had been a whole stream of criticism as a result, from the choice of umbrellas at the Bluebell pub to the frontage of Studio 34.
"The job of the parish council is to compromise. I think we can live with the signs if you change the colour."
CUr George Matheou said the parish council should not be in the business of telling local shops how to market themselves.
Cllr Bill Leech said that the frontage of One Stops Somerfield and the fish and chip shop were far less in keeping with the conservation area.
All councillors agreed that a meeting should be set up with representatives from the planning department and conservation department at the district council, parish council chairman Cllr Les Goodman, Cllr Roger Hubbocks and Mr Miah.
It was also agreed that moves should be made for a letter to be sent out to new businesses in the town urging them to beware of the constraints of the conservation area.
Once the proprietor of Bespoke Curtains and Blinds had retired from the meeting, Cllr Mrs C Goodman chose a slightly different way to sum up the discussion: "If you don't like it, clear off."
Report by Philippa Mingins - Stratford Herald - 10th December 2009
