TABLES and chairs should only be allowed in Minehead's Wellington Square if it is part of a charity or community event, town councillors have ruled this week.
There has been widespread furore after one of the town's pubs revealed plans to put tables and chairs in the square so customers could sit in the open air.
Wellington Hotel owner Barry Richards was given permission to set up four tables and 16 chairs to extend bar facilities into the square for a trial period of 28 days by West Somerset District Council in March.
But this prompted a huge row as councillors said there had been no consultation and it flouted district council guidance that states 'no selling is to be carried out in the square' and 'public access is to be maintained as far as possible'.
For full details, see the West Somerset edition of this week's Somerset County Gazette.
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