ROW HAS CAUSED UNTOLD HARM TO COUNCIL’S REPUTATION, ADMITS LEADER

THE row over Buddies Bar has done “untold harm to North West Leicestershire District Council’s reputation”, its leader has admitted.

Councillor Richard Blunt made the comments during an agenda meeting this week.

Councillor Michael Wyatt, who is a business owner himself, previously said the council’s actions had been “disgraceful” and that councillors “should hang their heads in shame” over the impending closure of the bar, which will reportedly see five people lose their jobs.

“Anyone who says the council cannot get involved in this issue is not telling you the truth,” he said.

However, Cllr Blunt denied the council could have prevented Buddies from being moved out of its premises in Belvoir Shopping Centre, Coalville, and said it was a matter for Gylo, the owners of the shopping centre. “This matter has done untold harm to the council’s reputation,” he said.

“Of course, we as a council should always back and support new businesses coming into the town but I cannot tell the owners of the Belvoir Centre what they can and cannot do.

“This is a case of a landlord and its tenant. We did not know it was going to come to this until it happened.” Buddies said they had received no support from either NWLDC and Gylo.

They refute claims the shopping centre’s owners had offered them a new location to operate from.

Gylo insist they have been and are continuing to work with the bar.

“We are committed to helping them find a viable future and are in discussions about a potential relocation,” said a spokesman.

Cllr Blunt said the situation wasn’t right but he had been restricted in what he could do.

He told Cllr Wyatt: “Buddies knew what they were getting themselves into when they started.

“I do not like this but if I had been told by yourself three months ago, maybe five months ago, that this would happen as you clearly seemed to know it would, I would have done something and try to resolve it. It came too late for us to act.”