BARRED! Millionaire Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin goes into battle with Welsh council after it ordered pub to remove carpet featuring town’s crest because it did NOT give permission
- Tim Martin raced over to Barry, south Wales to urgently met with council bosses
- The Sir Samuel Romilly had put the town’s crest in their bar carpet earlier in year
- But council ordered it to be ripped up over unauthorised use of the coat of arms
- Mr Martin met Barry Town Council councillors and decision is due at a later date
Wetherspoon owner Tim Martin travelled 200 miles to a seaside town in a bid to save the prized carpets of one of his pubs from being ripped up.
The 64-year-old raced over to Barry in south Wales after the local council informed the pub that it was not allowed to use its historic coat of arms in the pile.
The Sir Samuel Romilly had put the town’s crest in their bar carpet last year as part of a £715,000 revamp.
But the pub was later ordered to rip it out or face legal action over the unauthorised use of the design, which features two unicorns and a dragon.
Mr Martin, who is reportedly worth £448million, says the raging rug row is the most ‘extreme’ in Wetherspoon’s history.
Wetherspoon owner Tim Martin (left) travelled 200 miles to a seaside town in a bid to save the prized carpet (right) at the Sir Samuel Romilly in Barry, south Wales
The Sir Samuel Romilly had put the town’s crest in their bar carpet earlier this year as part of a £715,000 revamp
He met Barry Town Council councillors in private to discuss the use of the town crest at the pub.
Barry mayor Margaret Wilkinson said: ‘Tim Martin noted that there had not been a situation this extreme in JD Wetherspoon’s history and felt that it was important to reach a resolution.
‘Mr Martin added that he felt there was tremendous public support for the pub and the carpet remaining in situ.
‘He noted that he felt it was not necessary to get into an argument over a small area of carpet.
‘He also noted that he felt that the public’s perception was that the council was being too extreme in requesting a specially designed carpet to be removed.
‘He added that he would be happy for the carpet to be replaced with an alternative when it had reached the end of its life.’
The pub was later ordered to rip it out or face legal action over the unauthorised use of the design, which features two unicorns and a dragon
The council meeting was held in private but details were released later.
Councillors agreed to wait for a letter from JD Wetherspoon stating options for a resolution.
The coat of arms was patented and granted by the Sovereign – the Queen’s father George V1 – in 1939.
Councillor Mark Hooper is among those who have contested Wetherspoon’s use of the coat or arms
It features the words ‘Caderndid Cyfiawndeb Cynydd’ – Welsh for ‘Stability Justice Progress’ – under the two unicorns, a boat and the Welsh dragon.
Mr Martin previously said the dispute could be taken to the ancient Court of Chivalry first set up in the fourteenth century.
He said: ‘There’s been a bit of argy-bargy over the carpet in the pub and we have had correspondence with the council.
‘We are a chain of pubs, but I think pubs need to find an authenticity and we try to restore the buildings in-keeping with the original building if we can and to include history of the area and the building.
‘We also try to use some local art work and I think it’s just an extension of that.
‘We have unique carpets and the designer, looking at Barry, came up with the idea of the Barry crest. It’s a shame.
‘We were only trying to do something good for the area and for the business. It’s not good to annoy local opinion in your design.
‘I think it’s a question of trying to balance the strong feeling of our customers who overwhelmingly say we should keep the carpet.’
The decision will be made at a later date.
Councillors agreed to wait for a letter from JD Wetherspoon stating options for a resolution