East Cambridgeshire District Council has rejected an application by Phones 4u, for a sign outside its new shop in Ely.
Phones 4u is yet to move into its new premises on Ely High Street, but the retailer has already experienced a setback, when planning officials stated that designs for a large shopfront banner were not in keeping with the area.
Lorraine Brown, conservation officer at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “The large expanse of red, whether timber or not, is not appropriate in this location. It [would] be visually dominant within the street scene and [would] neither preserve nor enhance the character or appearance of the conservation area.”
The application submitted by Phones 4u includes a design for a 934mm banner, that extends across the width of the shop, an 800mm non-illuminated fascia sign that features the company’s logo and a 750mm non-illuminated projecting sign above the banner.
Planning officials are chiefly concerned about the colour of the banner, believing that red is not a suitable fit for the area.
Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we produce high-quality signage for commercial customers. Designing a sign for use in a conservation area can be a challenge, but we are always able to provide solutions.