Protest over African look of new bar in Cathedral Quarter

A frontage for a new bar in Coventry’s cathedral quarter is out of keeping with the conservation area, a leading councillor claims.



Labour city councillor Ed Ruane is protesting over the exterior design of the new African Village bar and restaurant in Bayley Lane.

The street has been described by heritage expert Dr Jonathan Foyle as “one of the finest medieval streets in the country”.

Other objections have come from the Coventry Society, and former Tory councillor and tourism guide Roger Bailey.

Coun Ruane has written to Coventry City Council planning manager Tracy Darke to ask if the painted matt black and bright orange frontage on sandstone walls contravenes planning permission for the building, on Bayley Lane’s corner with Hay Lane opposite the Golden Cross pub.

Coun Ruane said: “This is one of the best mediaeval streets in the country.

“If we keep allowing a dumbing down, we will lose all that is unique about our history and heritage.

“It makes a mockery of having a conservation area.

“If we don’t protect it, before we know it, it will not have any special features anymore.”

Bayley Lane includes the medieval St Mary’s Guidhall, which stands opposite the old cathedral walls.

Coun Ruane, cabinet member responsible for tourism, has been urging for the city to do more to attract international visitors by doing more with its medieval “crown jewels”.

His letter to Ms Darke states: “As you know this is a conservation area. Please inform me as to whether consent was provided or needed for this type of work. If not I believe some form of tough action needs to be taken such as a fine.”

A Coventry City Council spokesman said: “It doesn’t need planning permission to be painted.

“It is in a conservation area but it is not a listed building. If it was, it would need listed building consent to be painted.”

African Village’s website says it is “a restaurant and late bar bringing the taste of African cuisine and music to the western world”.

It opened last Friday and offers a menu including yam, goatmeat, oxtail stew, and jerk chicken.

Opening times are from 11am, until 4am at weekends.

The venue’s manager Sophia Dello-Aguh, from Cameroon, whose Nigerian husband Simon Aguh is owner, said: “We enquired and were told we were free to paint it as we liked, as long as we didn’t damage the property.

“It’s painted black and I don’t see how that affects the conservation area.

“It brings something different to the street, and we’ve even had tourists taking photographs.

“We have African decor and there are lots of Africans living in Coventry.

“We’ve had many English visitors too, so blacks and whites mix together.”

What a mess!

Row over African bar in Bayley Lane divides leading city councillors

COVENTRY City Council’s ruling Labour cabinet is split in a row over a new African bar in the cathedral conservation area.

As the Telegraph revealed on Friday, tourism cabinet member Ed Ruane is backing the Coventry Society’s complaints about the vibrant frontage of the bar and restaurant in medieval Bayley Lane, opposite the cathedral ruins.

But another cabinet member, Jim O’Boyle, has now spoken out in favour of the bar, and its black and orange colour scheme, which Coun Ruane believes is dumbing down the area.

Coun O’Boyle referred to Coun Ruane’s previous backing of a proposal to move the Godiva Festival from War Memorial Park to the city centre.

Coun O’Boyle, who as a Hillfields councillor represents the city centre, said: “People can’t have it both ways. They are the same people who argue the city centre needs rejuvenating and want the Godiva Festival in town.

“Then in the next breath they say, ‘We don’t want a cultural asset’ – one that adds to the overall offer in Coventry that’s so sadly lacking.

“We need a new spirit that offers something different to the people of Coventry. That’s what they are crying out for. The African Village bar and restaurant is exactly what the city centre needs, and will bring in footfall.”

Coun O’Boyle said the frontage of the medieval pub opposite, the Golden Cross, also incorporated black in its colour scheme.

His remarks were supported by fellow Hillfields Labour councillor David Welsh after the pair visited the bar.

Coun Welsh said: “We should be encouraging places like this. It seems like a really nice place. I think it looks fine on the outside. It adds to the city centre, rather than taking anything away.”

Coun Ruane has not objected to the restaurant, just to its matt black paint on sandstone walls.

He wants more promotion of Coventry’s medieval assets, including St Mary’s Guildhall in Bayley Lane, to attract more international visitors,

Council planning officers say the African Village was free to paint the outside walls as it wanted as it is not a listed building.

Manager Sophia Dello-Aguh says she had enquired with the council before painting. She defiantly said the colour scheme was part of the chain’s “concept”, and pledged it would remain.

African Village opened last Friday and offers a menu including yam, goatmeat, oxtail stew, and jerk chicken. Opening times are from 11am until 4am at weekends.

City development cabinet member, Coun Lynnette Kelly, was unavailable for comment.

Coventry bar African Village told black paint must go



A new restaurant in Coventry’s cathedral quarter has been ordered to remove its black painted exterior design after accusations it was out of keeping with the conservation area.

The Telegraph last month reported concerns of the Coventry Society and councillors about the black and orange colour scheme for African Village.

The bar-restaurant with an African theme and food opened last month on the corner of Hay Lane and Bayley Lane, described by experts as one of the country’s finest surviving medieval streets.

The council confirmed last month that no planning permission or other consent was required for painting the wall as it was not a listed building.

But now it has decided the black paint did contravene agreements after all.

Steps are being taken to remove the black paint by the landlord.

A council spokesman said: “The council is the freeholder of this property but is not the landlord.

“When this building was built, it was done to be in keeping with the historical surroundings.

“This building is not listed but is in a conservation area.

“No ‘planning permission’ was required to paint the building, however, there is a condition in the agreement between the council and the landlord that, as the building is in a conservation area, any changes to the exterior need permission before going ahead.

“Therefore there has been a breach of this agreement and the landlord is currently working with the owner to find the best way of restoring the sandstone back to its original condition.”

Labour councillors were divided, with councillor Jim O’Boyle arguing it bought vibrancy, something different and people to the area.

Tourism cabinet member Ed Ruane argued it was “dumbing down” a street that was a “unique” part of Coventry’s history.

The venue’s manager Sophia Dello-Aguh, from Cameroon, whose Nigerian husband Simon Aguh is the owner, had pledged to keep the black paint, insisting enquiries had been made in advance with the council.

She said the black and orange design was the brand for the African Village business, which was attracting African people living in Coventry, and bringing people of all races together.

She had pointed out the Golden Cross pub, in Bayley Lane, was historic but had a similar colour scheme.