POLL: Plans for a tattoo studio in Holt supported by town council

At last night's (Monday) meeting councillors voted in favour of the plans which would see barber's, The Tonsorial Artist on 20 High Street, change from a retail unit to combined use to include a tattoo studio.

The Tonsorial Artist first opened its doors in 2004 and describes itself as a 'traditional barbers with that old fashioned sense of style and service'.

Manager Doug Wybrow, 45, said he was keen to bring something new to the town and emphasised it would be in keeping with the traditional look.

'We will keep everything as normal as possible and it will always be a barber's shop,' he said.

'We tried doing shaving and that was very good but we needed to find other ways to bring money into the shop. We know about tattoos and we like them.'

The plans would see the tattoo studio placed on the ground floor at the back of the shop to keep the area 'private and sterile'. It has already been decorated in the same vintage style seen throughout the building.

Mr Wybrow added that he was 'obsessive about old things' and it was very important to him to make sure the residents and other business owners in the town welcomed the venture.

At the town council meeting mayor Bryan Payne feared that 'most people' might not want to see it in the town but councillor Maggie Prior said it was not for them to decide if a tattoo studio was suitable.

She said: 'I don't really know if we should stand in judgement of such things.'

Overall the members of the council were positive about the idea but only if it was in keeping with the look of the town.

Councillor Andy Turner added: 'Just because you have got a tattoo does it make you a bad person? No.'

Mr Wybrow, of Melton Constable, followed his father into barbering has worked in and managed salons in both London and Sydney.

He currently employs a full-time, part-time and trainee member of staff and has recently taken on a local tattoo artist who specialises in vintage-style tattoos.