AN APPEAL has been lodged to the Planning Inspectorate against the council's refusal to permit an illuminated LED display sign to be installed on a building close to a busy junction.

Council planners ruled that the propose sign near a busy gateway into the town centre would  "cause distractions" to drivers.

What were the plans for?

Consent was sought last year to display the sign on the outside of a dog grooming salon on Duke Street, near to the junction with Boundary Road, Cowley Hill Lane and Dentons Green Lane. 

V 2 LED Ltd sent in the plans to St Helens Council for the sign in November 2023, which would be near one of the main gateways to St Helens town centre.

The plans said the sign would have a height of 2.8m; be 1.92m wide and have a depth of 0.15m.

A planning statement in the application said: "The site is located at the junction of Duke Street, boundary Road, Dentons Green Lane and Cowley Hill Lane.

"The proposed advertisement will be angled to traffic heading along Denton’s Green Lane towards the town centre and to traffic on Cowley Hill Lane heading southwards towards the junction."

The plans for the sign near the busy junction were refused by St Helens CouncilThe plans for the sign near the busy junction were refused by St Helens Council (Image: Google Street View)

The plans said the host building is a two-story commercial premises currently in use as a dog grooming salon.

The application added: " In this well-lit and predominantly commercial urban setting, the scale and appearance of the display would not dominate the street scene or the adjoining buildings. The location can absorb the advertisement without detriment.

"It would sit comfortably on a blank section of the gable wall, which is sufficiently large to accommodate an advertisement of the size proposed. it would not appear as an overly large or incongruous feature."

The plans said the advertisement "will display only static images that do not require close study".

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It claimed the display "will be at a sufficient height that it will not obstruct or hinder the interpretation of highway signs or signals" and intensity of the illumination "shall be no greater than 300 candelas per square metre between dusk and dawn, in accordance with the guidance set out by the Institute of Lighting Practitioners (ILP)."

'Out of character' sign refused by council

However, it was considered the sign would be "out of character" with the area and cause the potential for "distraction" to users of the busy junction.

Recommending refusal, planning officer Daley Parsonage, said: "The proposed digital advertisement screen by virtue of its size, scale, position on the building, location and illumination would be out of character with the area in this prominent gateway location."

Mr Parsonage added:  "The proposed digital sign is located on a crossroads forming a main transport gateway into the town of St Helens. Given the illuminated and changing nature of the proposed illuminated sign in close proximity to traffic signal it is considered the sign would have the potential to cause distractions to users of the junction which would cause public safety concerns."

Consent for the sign was refused.

Appeal launched by applicant

V 2 LED Ltd have lodged an appeal against the decision to the Planning Inspectorate, with the process having started on July 4.

A decision date on the appeal has not yet been set.