The owner of a Kenilworth events bar has been left devastated by what she claims is a town council "witch hunt" against her business.

Gabrielle Parry claims her family have been aggressively abused by neighbours angered by weekend events at The Garden Bar at the Pavilion, on Castle Road.

She has complained councillors have taken a one-sided view after refusing to attend any of the events.

At a meeting of Kenilworth Town Council's planning committee last week councillors unanimously approved a call to ask Warwick District Council to revisit its decision to grant temporary events licenses (TENs) to the premises.

Councillors alleged the bar was operating without proper planning permission and called on WDC to explain "what they are doing about enforcement".

Speaking to Kenilworth Nub News, mother of two Ms Parry said: "In Kenilworth, it's not what you know, it's who you know.

"Councillors haven't been to see what is happening - they are just going off gossip from the neighbours. It's really sad because I think you have got to hear both sides.

"It all seems to be one-sided and I seem to be excluded."

Ms Parry, who runs The Orangery Flower Shop in Talisman Square, said she has asked a number of councillors, including the Mayor of Kenilworth Cllr Peter Jones, to attend an event to see for themselves.

An email from Cllr Jones to Gabrielle declined her invitation saying: "It seems that the effects on your neighbours at the Pavilion are harmful and severe so I cannot support your venture."

All legally done

Ms Parry has also hit back at councillors' allegations that the bar was not following licensing and planning rules.

"It is completely legally done," she said.

"We have interacted with Warwick District Council and its licensing team and we had to draw out proper plans, it wasn't just we thought we'd put an event on, it was all done legally through Warwick District Council.

"You are allowed so many TENs licenses throughout the year, and that's what we have done. To say that we have been doing anything which we shouldn't have been doing is absolute rubbish."

Neighbours negativity

Parry said that the planning committee's response had come purely from neighbours complaints.

"They don't want to come and see for themselves and take part," she said. "It is just an instant 'no' and that's from the point of view of the neighbours. It really is who you know not what you know."

Ms Parry had previously withdrawn a planning application for a farm shop and polytunnels on the site after a significant number of objections from neighbours were received.

She also reported verbal abuse towards her and her staff and was made aware that last night (November 14) an attempt was made to remove the sign from the bar's entrance.

This despite the bar asking a sound engineer to come and check noise levels to ensure it would cause the minimum amount of disturbance.

"It has been horrific, the abuse verbally as been awful," she said.

"I feel like it is a witch hunt now; it is affecting me and my family, it's absolutely horrific.

"I won't drive through the bottom gate anymore because I don't want to see anybody."

Local support

Despite the negativity from some residents, Ms Parry added that there had been a wealth of support from customers.

She said: "I have had so much positivity from people saying 'you're doing such a great thing for Kenilworth'.

"Then you see what the council has said and it just absolutely brings you down, it is devastating."

The Garden Bar at the Pavilion will be hosting a Christmas market on November 28 with at least 30 local businesses invited to attend to sell their wares.

"Now I am in a really hard position," said Ms Parry. "Because I feel like me and my family are being personally attacked, but at the same time we have so many people saying 'don't give up, we really love it, and we want it to carry on'.

"At the end of the day we have not made any profit from this, we have spent more on it than we have made, its more about having an outdoor community space for the town."

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