Shop sign 'harmful' to conservation area - council

Signage on a bargain hardware store must be removed after council planners ruled it was "harmful to the setting" of a neighbouring Grade I listed building.

The sign on Bargain & Save at 23 Bank Street in Bradford was installed without consent from the council and a retrospective planning application has been refused.

The unit is part of the former Brown Muff department store, opposite the Grade I listed Wool Exchange, and is part of the City Centre Conservation Area.

Jon Ackroyd, Bradford Council's conservation officer, said: "The combination of highly reflective fascia band and the large projecting letters creates an unduly strident appearance which is discordant."

"It is harmful in the setting of the Wool Exchange and in the conservation area," Ackroyd said.

"A matt finish to the fascia band, as is evident on the neighbouring business, with simple flush lettering would be more compatible with the context.

"The projecting sign would appear neater within the fascia band."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), planning officers added that "no public benefits" had been identified that would "outweigh the harm" to the conservation area.

"The proposal therefore fails to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area," they said.

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