Category: About Warminster: Chinns Court Car Park

10th January 2022

A public statement from Adrian Pickford of Chinn Bros. Ltd.:

To Whom it May Concern

On the 14th of December last, I received an email from our tenant, Ms Baber requesting permission for Ms Tanya Hinton to paint a large mural to the rear of her premises, which she rents from my family firm, Chinn Brothers Ltd. This was the first time that I had heard of this matter. I think it is well known locally that we own this property, and have done for many years. The following day I emailed her back, stating that we would not give consent. On Friday the 17th December I became aware of Ms Hinton’s public crowdfunding campaign. I was astonished to find that it had started on the 28th of November, weeks before I was even aware of the project. I immediately emailed Ms Baber again to emphasise that consent would not be given, and asking her to make sure that Ms Hinton was aware of this.

Contrary to various messages and comments on Heart of Warminster Facebook forum, since then, I have at no time changed my mind over this matter, and have been consistent in my position in refusing consent. I might add that the building in question is Grade 2 Listed in its entirety, and permission to paint a large mural would require formal listed building permission from Wiltshire Council, which, of course is beyond my control.

All of this negative publicity could have been avoided, if Ms Baber or Ms Hinton had approached me with a proposal prior to launching the public fundraising in November,without informing me first.

I might ask, finally, how would you, the reader, would feel if you, the reader found yourself in a similar situation, ie to find out that someone you had never met, or had any communication with, intended to turn up at your property and paint a large mural on it?

End of Statement

Yours Sincerely, Adrian Pickford.