A NEW beauty salon specialising in hair removal has been ordered to pluck the gaudy pink sign from the front of its listed building.
Pinky Suhail, owner of Pinky's Brow Bar in Beverley's Saturday Market, says she is happy to comply and has apologised.
When the business opened on January 22 and the sign went up on the building that sits on the corner of Saturday Market and Dyer Lane, it prompted several complaints.
East Riding Council investigated and took action.
Mrs Suhail was told the sign had to go because it did not have either advertising consent or listed building consent.
She said: "I didn't know there would be a problem with the sign. I didn't know anything about listed buildings.
"We just ordered the sign and the signs company did everything for us."
The beautician, who trained in Pakistan before moving to Huddersfield ten years ago and, later, relocated to Hull, hopes to have a thriving Beverley business.
She became well-known working at Browns, also in Saturday Market, and specialising in a technique called threading, which uses cotton thread to remove eyebrow hairs.
She said: "The technique is for people who don't want waxing. The idea comes from Persia, I think.
"I worked in Browns for a year and a half, it was a concession. But I became ill and went into hospital.
"When I came out, I decided I deserved to open my own business, I suppose I felt pushed into it."
Pinky's Brow Bar shares a building with several beauty therapy-type businesses.
Instead of being done in the middle of a busy department store, treatments are offered in private booths.
Mrs Suhail said: "I think it's better if it's private. I was lucky, I got a place in the middle of town. I just saw the 'to let' sign and then the deal was done. It really is the heart of the town."
To begin with, her business started at a lively pace. Spas, hair salons, nail bars and therapy centres have set up right across Beverley and those identifying a unique niche seem to be thriving.
But not long after the launch of Pinky's Brow Bar, East Riding Council contractors began work on the £2.5m revamp of Saturday Market.
For the past week, the salon, which is still open for business, has been blocked by a large metal fence.
Mrs Suhail said: "To start with, the business was really, really good. But now, because of the work the council is doing outside, it's gone really, really down."
Despite the setback, and the threat of action over her pink sign, Mrs Suhail is determined to comply with all she is required to do.
She said: "Now we have to pay for a new sign. We had a meeting with the council and now they've given me two months to take the sign down.
"We don't want to close our business within six months.
"We're here to listen. Our new sign has been approved by the council."
