Consent to display 4 non illuminated fascia signs and 4 non illuminated other (folded tray) signs.

The committee received the report of the Head of Development Management, including the relevant planning history of the site and details of the responses to the application. 

The Development Management Team Leader introduced the report.  He explained that the application sought retrospective planning consent to display four non illuminated fascia signs and four non illuminated other (folded tray) signs.

The proposal was to put adverts on the front, side and rear elevations.  The signs were considered to be acceptable and appropriate for a commercial building in an industrial estate.  Non-illuminated signs were considered advantageous particularly so as not to give additional lighting or glare in a residential road.  The site faced residential properties.  On the basis of scale and the lack of illumination the proposal was recommended for approval.

The Chair invited Nicola Beaumont, a local resident, to speak against the application.  Ms Beaumont explained that she lived at 134 Bushey Mill Lane and therefore the main signs were opposite her property.  The signs were massive and bright red and yellow.  Whilst Ms Beaumont recognised that the site was commercial it was also directly opposite a residential development and developments should not be allowed to impact on each other. The previous industrial units had not impacted as they were brick built with small signs.  It was now impossible not to see the signs in any seat in Ms Beaumont’s front room.  The company had not spoken to residents or applied in advance for the signs.  In the original building planning permission the fourth condition had concerned external materials and mentioned an acceptable standard of appearance.  The resident’s objections were: the siting that it was opposite people’s homes, the design and scale of the signs and the relationship to the existing properties.  Ms Beaumont had not seen anywhere else where the signs were large and bright and opposite people’s homes.  She had also noticed there were additional signs advertising MOT’s which were not on the application before the committee.  Ms Beaumont stated that when it was sunny there was a glare from the signs.  Ms Beaumont felt that the signs were affecting the quality of life in the area.

The Chair invited Tudor Ward Councillor Joe Fahmy to speak.  Councillor Fahmy stated that the advertisement sign was intrusive and out of context for the road.  There was no other signage like it and the vast majority of Bushey Mill Lane was residential.  The national planning policy discussed good design but the advertising signs were highly garish and poorly designed.  Whilst the council welcomed new businesses the company had gone ahead without planning permission.  Councillor Fahmy had no objections to signs on the other side of building.  However, this was a poorly placed advertisement with a negative impact on local environment. 

Thanking the speakers, the Chair invited comments from the committee.

The committee discussed that all the signage was not necessary and that the signs on the side should be removed but leave the ones at the front and rear of the building.

The Deputy Managing Director reminded the committee that there were only two reasons for objection to the application.  Either amenity (visual amenity) or public safety including highway safety.

The Chair moved a split decision that the signs on the front and rear of the building were acceptable but the signs on the side of the building were unacceptable due to impact on visual amenity.

Upon being put to committee the motion was CARRIED

RESOLVED –

Consent is granted for a period of five years from the date of this consent notice for the following advertisements:

Signs A, B and C on the front elevation (drawing no. Page 1)

Signs G1 and G2 on the rear elevation (drawing no. Page 3)

Consent is refused for the following signs:

Signs D, E and F on drawing no. Page 2

Reason: These signs, by reason of their size, siting and colour, are considered to appear unduly prominent within the streetscene on Bushey Mill Lane and to appear as prominent and overbearing features when viewed from the residential properties opposite the site on Bushey Mill Lane. As such, they are considered to have a negative impact on the locality and the amenity of adjacent residential occupiers and to constitute poor design, contrary to the policies of the National Planning Policy Framework and Policy UD1 of the Watford Local Plan Core Strategy 2006-31.