Brewer responds to restaurant story

Interesting story in last week's issue of the Carmarthen Journal - Restaurant owner's anger with council 'hypocrisy'
It read -
A restaurant owner who was denied permission to put banners outside his premises has accused the council of hypocrisy.
Andrew Daly said the county council's decision not to allow the banners could cost him his business and put his five staff out of work.
The restaurateur, who runs Daly's Restaurant in Manordeilo claimed that three nearby out-of-use roadworks signs cause more of a visual obstruction than his refused billboards.
"We rely a lot on passing trade," said Mr Daly, 33, "but people don't see us now, the ones who know about us think we have shut.
"My signs were up for months and never caused any obstruction, the only ones which are the problem are the three council highways signs which are still here for some reason.
"The council's signs are for "roadworks", "no road markings", and "slippery surface" - all things which finished on the stretch of road months ago."
Mr Daly applied for planning permission for the 10 4ft by 1.5 ft banners in September last year.
After six months of waiting the application was refused.
The highways department told him the signs, despite being the legally-required four metres back from the road, would have to be taken down because they caused a visual obstruction.
Mr Daly said he worked hard to build his business up from nothing, and in difficult times this decision could finish his business off.
"The place was really run down. But we have done a lot of work and it looks really tidy - I'm proud.
"This could finish the business, though. I would be a bit more understanding if it wasn't for the issue of the council signs still being up - it seems a bit hypocritical."
In response, a Carmarthenshire Council spokesman said: "The authority did receive an application for ten signs, consent for which was approved as long a number were removed.
"This has not been completed and formal action is now taking place.
"The temporary signs placed by the highway authority are a requirement to ensure that resurfacing works undertaken on behalf of the mid Wales trunk road agency meet safety standards.
"The 'no road marking' sign is to be removed later this week following reinstatement of the carriageway markings.
"The other warning sign will remain in place for a period of six months in light of current guidelines."

Following the story, Llandeilo brewer Simon Buckley has written the following response for publication in the letters pages of the Journal -
I write regarding your article in last week’s Journal, ‘Restaurant owners’ anger with council hypocrisy’.
I know Andrew Daly and how hard he has worked to take a redundant eyesore and turn it into a thriving business.
To stimulate custom, he used modern signage to attract customers and to develop a business that employs local people and contributes to the local economy.
How can we continue to allow ‘manual-wielding’ council jobsworths to destroy local businesses by the thoughtless interpretation of highway rules, which in this case did not apply.
Were there the vaguest element of consistency to the council’s interpretation of the rules, we could respect the decisions made. But there is not.
Yet again the behemoths of Carmarthenshire Council, have destroyed yet another emerging business by their senseless intervention, and small-minded approach to the business sector.
When will the council actually learn that without business ratepayers and people that create wealth within rural communities our rural communities will die?
However much financial support Councillor Clive Scourfield’s department pumps into local communities it is plain that if the council does not support local businesses (and actively attacks them), then it is extremely unlikely that the local tax pot will increase.
We will see many more empty business properties in our community.
Were this France, one thing is for sure, we would not allow this nonsense to prevail.
Sadly the Cameron cull of local councils is not going to be humane; it will be the workers who get the chop, and not the middle management jobsworths that would in the real world of entrepreneurial business fail and be passed over.
The high and mighty of Carmarthenshire County Council, policy-makers and leaders of specialist local government departments have neither had the experience nor, in general terms, do they posses the expertise to lead our local government in these difficult and challenging times.
How many of the cabinet have had experience of running multi-million pound businesses?
Yet we let them run our councils!
To Andrew Daly, I say, stand up and fight for what you have worked so hard to create, and count on me and the many thousands of people in our county who are fed with the ‘manual-wielding’ bureaucrats and what they stand for.
Put your signs back up and take it to court - and the community will pay the fine!
Simon Buckley
Evan-Evans Brewery,
Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo.

Comments

Lliedi said…
Carmarthenshire County Council doesn’t seem to have a problem with all the Scarlets advertising banners on railings near pedestrian crossings in Llanelli town centre though. Which is more dangerous? Different rules for different struggling businesses…
Anonymous said…
The people who make these decisions don't have to compete in business to earn a living.

No doubt they'll be clinging to their salaries (and pensions) by their fingernails when the cuts begin to bite. What a pity they can't show the same consideration for other peoples livelihoods.

However, support from Mr Buckley may not help Mr Daly's cause, given the ugly welcome provided to Llandeilo visitors by the broken Evan Evans advertising hoardings by the roundabout.

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