Swindon Nightclub's head statues still there almost two years after it was told to remove them
Kioki in Old Town has lost two appeals to keep the Balinese-style heads and green canopy
Nearly two years after first being told to remove them, and a year after that decision was confirmed by a government-appointed inspector, an Old Town bar and nightclub is still displaying unapproved advertising statues and awning.
Kioki nightclub and bar in the High Street first applied for retrospective planning permission for the large and very distinctive Balinese head-style statues that flank its main entrance in 2022.
It sought permission to regularise the installation of the pieces, which has already been put up, as part of a series of changes it wanted to make, including a rear extension, enclosing its rear terrace and changing the front of the building.
All of the measures were refused by Swindon Borough Council planners.
Kioki, owned by Swindon businessman Alan Mok, took the matter to appeal, heard by planning inspector Emma Pickernell.
She said of the heads: “Because of their overall size and scale against the relatively modest proportions of the host building the statues appear excessive in scale and overly dominant, thereby detracting from the character and appearance of the building and the area.
She turned down the appeal, which meant Mr Mok should remove the statues.
In a new application in 2023, the nightclub applied for permission to light up the front of its building and put up a large green awning with the words Kioki and “Bar Lounge Club”.
Again, this was refused by the council, and again Mr Mok took the matter to appeal.
This time planning inspector G. Powys Jones upheld the council’s decision, dismissing Mr Mok’s appeal with: “The awning spreads across virtually the entire width of the front elevation. Its positioning is such that it blatantly interferes with the form and features of the two distinctive window openings on either side of the front door. Its colour is described by the appellant as ‘natural green’, but I found it to be garish in the cold light of day”
A third application for permission for the rear extension, the enclosure of the existing rear store and changes to the windows at the front was approved in 2024; an application in which Mr Mok said the two heads and the green awning would both be removed.
But nearly two years on, both the heads and the green awning are still in place and looking rather the worse for wear.
Perhaps as a result of the recent very wet winter, the awning is covered in dark grime, and the bottom of the heads is covered in green mould or algae.
The council re-iterated its demand that the heads be removed: “The sculptures outside Kioki have been refused planning permission and the decision upheld on appeal. The sculptures need to be removed and we expect the owner to comply with the planning decision.”