Pub landlord Rob Cowan is seeing red after council bosses ordered him to repaint his pink pub.

Rob redecorated the 500-year-old Woolpack Hotel in Tenterden to boost business and was tickled pink with the result – until Ashford council said the colour was not permitted on a listed building.

He has now been told he has until January 21 to repaint The Woolpack in an approved colour.

A fuming Rob, who had the pub redecorated in July from an off-white shade, said that as a businessman he wanted to boost its appeal with the mini-makeover.

“I have repainted the pub in a nice way and it’s a perfectly lovely colour. I could understand the objections if I had painted it bright red or green” - Rob Cowan

He said: “Ashford council should applaud any High Street trader who uses their initiative to rebrand their business, or present it in a different way.”

He has started a Keep it Pink petition which has already got four pages of signatures.

The popular hostelry in the heart of Tenterden was rescued by Rob two-and-a-half years ago when he became landlord.

It had been closed for 15 months after the former landlords Janice and Maurice Munden disappeared and pest control had to be called to tackle a rat invasion.

Rob said: “When I took over the pub it was a rat-infested hell hole and I have invested my time and money in turning it around.

“I have repainted the pub in a nice way and it’s a perfectly lovely colour. I could understand the objections if I had painted it bright red or green.”

Rob added: “The pink is from an English heritage range and has not just been picked randomly. I have a degree in architecture and a drove around the county and across to Sussex to research the colour, as well as try different swatches.”

Ashford council told Rob he could apply for retrospective planning permission to keep the pub pink, but said he was advised informally that it was not likely to be granted, so he decided not to go through the process.

Rob’s frustration over the colour has been made worse because the council conservation officer suggested he steer away from garish shades, leading him to believe the subtle pink would be acceptable.

The landlord now plans to appeal the council’s decision and will be starting a petition in the pub to gather support to keep it pink.

A council spokesman said: “We are in direct contact with Mr Cowan who has the right to appeal the decision made.

“Should he choose to do so, we will follow the due process and are therefore unable to comment further to the media at this moment in time.”

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

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