'Being told to take my sign down feels ridiculous'

North Kesteven District Council has rejected the materials used to put up the sign at the cafe

Almost 8,000 people have signed a petition to keep the sign above a new children's play cafe after it was rejected by council planners.

Whilst heavily pregnant, Henna Karim-Sayer opened the Sleaford Bairns Play Cafe in August to give mothers and parents a place to go for support.

However, North Kesteven District Council (NKDC) told the cafe, which is in a Grade II listed building, they must change the sign "to ensure the special character of the building".

"I just feel like it's all very wishy-washy, it feels like I'm being made an example of to set the tone of what they want for the high street," Ms Karim-Sayer said.

The 28-year-old said the sign was rejected by the council because it had been made with uPVC flat panels rather than a traditional hand-painted design.

Henna Karim-Sayer opened The Bairns Play Cafe, Sleaford, in August to create a community for families

The council said the cafe was "made aware through the planning process" of the Shopfront Design Guide which "gives clear guidance of what is appropriate and how not following it can lead to applications being refused".

It added that the guidance "helps businesses aspire for better signage within the town centre" and it had offered to pay up to 90% of the costs to the cafe to change the sign.

"The availability of the funding was made clear on numerous occasions, which she chose not to pursue," an NKDC spokesperson said.

Cassie Kutzner said it was "silly" to pick on the sign of a new business

Ms Karim-Sayer said: "Whilst doing all of this I was having a baby and the committee only meet once every three months so we missed that deadline."

She is in the process of writing an appeal against the refusal.

"If it's refused again we will have to take it down and go for the hand-painted sign which is a cost we can't afford," she said.

"It feels ridiculous in all honesty but that's personal opinion."

Shannon Hessell said she could not "really see what the issue is"

Ms Karim-Sayer said she was motivated to open the cafe after having a difficult experience following her first birth.

"I struggled really badly with post-partum depression and anxiety and felt really isolated," she said.

"I wanted to give mums and parents a place to be."

She said the cafe had welcomed more than 650 families in the first two months after opening.

Cassie Kutzner, who plans to go to the cafe with her baby, said: "To pick on one sign of a new business of a younger woman is silly.

"It's a new opportunity for the town and they're just wasting money by putting new signs up."

Shannon Hessell, a resident who was in the town centre, said: "I don't really see what the issue is, it looks quite nice and really stands out."

The council said it had helped 16 local firms in the latest round of its Sleaford Shopfront Grant Scheme, with grants totalling more than £420,000.

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