Pub landlord threatened with huge mural painted on side of historic inn

A pub owner is facing legal action from his local council for painting a massive bull on the side of his 400-year-old inn. Martin Peel paid a local artist £1,200 to have the 8ft mural displayed on the side of the Bull’s Head.

The artwork was completed in April and Mr Peel says it has been a big hit with visitors to the pub in the picturesque village of Wootton Wawen, Warwickshire. However, last week Mr Peel, 52, received a letter from Stratford District Council claiming he had breached planning rules for the listed properties.

The father-of-two, who has run the 16th-century pub for three years, has four weeks to paint over the giant Hereford bull or face legal action. Mr Peel, who runs the pub with his partner Omm, 43, said: “It’s a beautiful pub and the painting just communicates what we do.”

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“It was meant to be eye-catching and a bit of fun, while respecting the heritage of the building. It is an impressive structure. It’s historic, but a lot of people think we’re just a big house, which can be confusing for people.

“We feel it’s a mural that works in keeping with the heritage era. We take heritage very seriously. We put in a new bar and a period fireplace and chimney in a room that was being ignored, which was done personally. cost.

“This was done by planning, but we just didn’t realize that this was a murder. The council just said “it’s not acceptable”.

“We get lots of positive comments from people in the pub, you get people stopping and taking pictures with it. It does not detract from the heritage of the building. We had a big vinyl banner out front that looked awful, it didn’t go with the pubs.”

Former aircraft mechanic Mr Peel believes it was only a villager who was not a fan of the design who alerted the council. He vowed to appeal the verdict, saying the painting was created by an artist using old-fashioned techniques.

Adding to this, he said: “We are receiving a special consultation from a local planner but have been told we cannot do planning retrospectively.”

“We want to approach the council formally and we need to get things right. There will be someone in the village who has been living in an old house for years, checked with the council maybe and didn’t like it.

“We are determined to preserve the painting of the bull. We would erase three days of work by an artist using skills that are on the verge of extinction.”

“Everything we do is with an eye on heritage. We see ourselves as temporary guardians of this wonderful pub. Each piece of art is unique.”

Artist Phil Taylor, who has been signing signs for 40 years, painted the painting. Echoing Mr Peel’s sentiments, many residents rallied around him, saying the painting was helping to “put the village on the map”.

One resident, Jim, expressed his disappointment: “It’s a real shame that someone who lives here cried in front of the council for no reason. This person has probably never set foot in Taurus. and Omm goes.”

Another said: “Typical bully council throwing their damn weight around. Why punish someone like Martin for doing something positive?”

“The bull mural looks amazing and put this place on the map.”

Mr Peel instructed lawyers to investigate the appeal against the decision. Stratford District Council declined to comment on the case, with a spokesman saying: “Unfortunately, we do not comment on live enforcement cases.”

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