A Fife pub landlord has been ordered to remove a “gaudy and historically inaccurate” witch mural outside his premises.
The huge painting on the gable wall of the Larachmhor Tavern in the heart of Pittenweem shows a witch with a hooked nose and warts on her face.
The East Neuk village is associated with witches, with one woman killed and several others imprisoned after being accused of witchcraft in 1705.
And popular witch tours ran in the village for several years.
However, Fife Council planners ruled the mural is “based on historically inaccurate false narratives perpetuated by popular media”.
Planning officer Chris Smith said: “The mural is not only inaccurate but also gaudy in its use of colour and stylization.
“It extends over the entire gable wall and does nothing to enhance the conservation area or the listed building.”
‘Making a mockery of village history’
Larachmhor Tavern landlord Allan Adey applied for retrospective planning permission for the mural after it was painted without consent.
The application was considered by the north east planning committee, where SNP councillor David McDiarmid said: “I like it and I think it enhances the area.
“For the witch capital of Scotland, I think it’s kind of apt.”
And he added: “If that had been done by Banksy would it still have been up for refusal?”
However, the mural has upset some locals, including Pittenweem Lib Dem councillors.
Fiona Corps said it was “making a mockery of the village history”.
And Sean Dillon added: “The mural depicts a stereotypical witch with warts and all, which inaccurately depicts women who were tried and executed for supposedly practising “witchcraft”.”
Mural must be removed
The planning service received 13 letters of objection about the Pittenweem witch mural from locals.
Complaints included the subject matter, the design, size and style of the image, and the colours used.
The fact it was opposite Pittenweem’s historic harbour and within the conservation area was also of concern.
Mr Smith added: “The whole gable of the building has been covered. It’s in a fairly prominent part of the harbour area.
“It’s also important to note that the typical pallet of colours used in the locality are fairly muted and neutral.”
The retrospective application was refused by the committee on the grounds it had a “significant detrimental impact” on the conservation area.
Enforcement action will also be taken to ensure the mural is removed.
Mr Adey declined to comment on the matter.
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