The business community in Monmouth has rallied around a new venture in the town after Monmouthshire County Council asked them to remove woodwork from the front of their building.

The new Greek restaurant, Amos, in Monnow Street, is being operated by business partners Paulo and Skender who say they contacted the council two weeks before opening to check if they could add wooden panels to the front of the building.

They spoke to a member of MCC staff on the phone who told them they wouldn’t need permission if they weren’t making a change to the structure of the building.

Paulo and Skender felt that as the woodwork was purely decoration and could easily be removed they weren’t changing the structure.

So the pair were shocked when they later received a letter from MCC stating they had 28 days to remove the woodwork or they would receive a £20,000 fine.

Skender said: “We could have had a £20,000 fine, and we hadn’t even started work yet; we may as well shut the doors.

“Every shop in town, grade listed or not, has decorations, lights and signs outside so why has our business been punished like this?

“We took it down straight away because we don’t want to upset anyone.”

Paulo says they have tried to contact the council on a generic number as well as the number on the bottom of a letter from MCC, however there is no answer.

“If they had told us we needed permission, we would have got it before doing the work,” Paulo said.

A spokesperson for Monmouthshire County Council said: “The owners/operators of the building have carried out unauthorised works to the building, which is grade two listed for its historic value, and Monmouthshire County council’s heritage team is now dealing with the issue.”

Members of the Monmouth New Businesses Facebook page shared their disappointment after a woman posted saying: “Are you joking me? A new business in Monmouth, open less than 2wks and already @monmothshirecountycouncil are trying to ruin their business.”

The post has now received more than 75 comments jumping to the defence of the Greek restaurant. One woman commented: “We are supposed to be supporting business for this town and creating jobs!!! What is wrong with this council; It’s a shame.”

While a man posted: “Is anybody really surprised? This is the town that scrapped its railway line and built a dual carriageway to cut the town off from the promenade. Backwards, always has been and probably always will be.”

Another commented: “But it’s OK to leave Peacocks in a crumbling mess, I suppose.”

Amongst these comments, a few people defended MCC. One woman said: “Unfortunately, rules are rules!!!”

Another business owner Nicholas Trotman who runs Honeysuckle Wood Trading Ltd said: “The owners took over the abandoned building that used to house Subway, which had been a vacant eyesore for around two years.

“They worked very hard to improve this building and made it into a clean and bright space that was a benefit to the town.

“The council has asked the business to remove the excellent work they did to the outside of the building stating it was not “in keeping.”

“In keeping” with what exactly, the abandoned former NatWest bank, the abandoned HSBC building, the abandoned and falling down premises opposite the Castle Inn with its collection of pigeons nesting in the windows?

“Or perhaps the current eyesore that is trying to be the slot machine venue, which is also slowly falling into the street.

“There is a plague of empty, derelict buildings on the main street yet the council creates an issue with a business which has done nothing but try to improve our environment.

“I find this sad, shocking and it leaves me feeling a little angry.”