Yes, some like it, but some – well, don’t….. Willow & Wolf have done a major ‘paint job’ on the front of their premises on the North side of the High Street at the St Peter’s end. At last night’s Planning Committee meeting of the Town Council, one member of the public attending raised this as a question for the Planning Committee, relating to approval and permissions.
Is it a listed building? The Town Council weren’t able to answer that immediately and its status is being established and confirmed. Was there a Planning Application for this major repaint? No, was the answer, but again this is now being checked. And the third element of the question related to the Conservation Area and what all buildings in that area are subject to in terms of appearance and regulation – had any consideration been given to that?
As noted above some like it. ‘An attempt to restore the appearance to how it might once have been’ was one comment, others said that it added something new and different. And also – ‘I like it’. There are also alternative views: ‘Zebra’ said one; ‘tacky pastiche’ said another and others just saying that that it wasn’t attractive and it was just ‘plain out of keeping for the area’.
So ‘marmite’ opinions (OK, ‘vegemite’ if you come from down under). And as Oscar Wilde once (apparently) said – ‘There is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about’.
So Willow & Wolf are adhering to Wilde’s much-repeated observation, but it will be for the Town Council and Wiltshire Planners to decide whether the paint sticks or gets peeled off.
The New Year: for The Merchant’s House a New Chair
