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Wiltshire Council Investigates St George’s Cross Painted on Grade II‑Listed Pub

Heritage rules require consent for paint changes on listed buildings, triggering a formal probe.

Overview

  • Wiltshire Council confirmed a planning enforcement investigation into the Moonrakers Inn in Pewsey over its large St George’s Cross mural.
  • The landlord, Jerry Kunkler, says he was told to apply for Listed Building Consent within 14 days or paint over the frontage.
  • He plans to seek retrospective consent using local architects and says he will not remove the cross while the process runs.
  • The complaint that prompted the case was anonymous and alleged the pub looked like “the headquarters of the National Front.”
  • Kunkler, a long‑serving councillor, first painted the cross in 2016 and repainted it in 2022 for major sporting events, describing it as patriotic rather than political.