Plans to replace an advertising hoarding with an LED board in a conservation area have been refused by a planning inspector.
Brighton and Hove City Council turned down media company Wildstone Estates Limited’s application to replace a poster billboard with an internally lit LED advertising hoarding at 94 North Road, at the corner of Robert Street, in February.
North Road is in the heart of the North Laine Conservation Area and the proposal was described as an “unsympathetic addition” to the street in the refusal notice.
The council said: “The proposed digital screen is considered to be an unsympathetic addition to the street scene, causing harm to the visual amenities of the area and the North Laine Conservation Area due to its siting, modern design and the extent to which it would be illuminated.
“For these reasons, it is considered that it would fail to respect the character of the local area, appearing as an incongruous addition, contrary to policies.”
Wildstone Estates appealed, saying that the existing advertisement hoarding had been in place for at least 15 years and formed part of the character of the conservation area.
The appeal statement said: “The character and setting of the appeal site are that of a mixed-use urban area.
“The appeal site is located on a mixed-use commercial building which faces on to another mixed-use building and the approach to the appeal site from North Road (from the east and west) is characterised by advertising displays and commercial signage.
“The context of the surroundings means that the presence of other D-posters, paper and paste advertising displays and business-related signage is not uncommon.
“As such, the installation of an advertisement display in this location would not be visually intrusive, nor would it detract from the character and appearance of the surrounding street scene.”
In refusing the application, planning inspector Janette Davis said that there were illuminated shop signs in the area and the billboard would be smaller than the one currently in place.
But the inspector said: “The proposed digital poster, by virtue of its modern materials, overall size and height above ground, together with its prominent siting and extent of internal illumination, would stand out as an inappropriate, inharmonious and visually intrusive feature in the street scene.
“Consequently, it would detract from the character and appearance of nearby buildings and would dominate the local environment and the narrow street below.
“I therefore find that the proposal would fail to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the conservation area and would, therefore, be harmful to the amenity of the area.”
Victory for common sense!