A council is exploring “all options” in its fight to get a pub owner to restore historic green tiles that he ripped off the building.

Charlie Southall, owner of the Montreal Arms in Albion Hill, Brighton, was ordered to repair or replace the tiles which were hacked away by workers in March 2022.

Brighton and Hove City Council issued an enforcement notice following the incident, requiring the tiles to be replaced by July this year.

Mr Southall has now abandoned two planning appeals which were due to be discussed at a meeting with the planning inspector.

The appeals related to two planning applications submitted earlier this year regarding the reinstatement of the green tiles.

One plan submitted by Mr Southall proposed to laser scan the existing green tiles for them to be replicated by specialists at Craven Dunnill and put back on the bottom of the building.

The other would have seen the tiles put on the first floor of the building and the lower part of the building, where the green tiles originally were, would be replaced by a dark green render.

In the second application, which was refused, Mr Southall also sought to change the use of the building from a pub to a commercial unit.

The first application was approved with 16 conditions attached including the requirement to provide samples of the render, roof tiling and glazed tiles for council approval before work began.

Mr Southall appealed the conditions attached to the first application and appealed against the second’s refusal.

The businessman said some of the conditions imposed on the planning permission granted were “unnecessary, unenforceable, vague, unreasonable, and irrelevant”.

In his appeal against the other planning application’s refusal, Mr Southall said concerns over the potential loss of architectural and historic interest were unfounded “given the thorough and sensitive approach outlined in our proposal”.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said it is now exploring how it can ensure the tiles are replaced.

“Both the appeals made in relation to the Montreal Arms have now been withdrawn,” the spokesman said.

“The requirements of the enforcement notice have not been met and we are therefore exploring all options, including using legal powers, to progress this situation with the end goal of the tiles being appropriately replaced.”