Appeal over Victorian building's bright red sign

A retrospective planning application said the red signage did not "undermine the historic streetscape"

A discount store which fitted bright signage onto a listed Bradford building without permission has claimed the move was "consistent with conservation best practice".

The former RBS bank on Bank Street, is the latest Victorian building in the city centre to be the subject of a retrospective planning application for modern signage.

It recently re-opened as a Pound Saver shop, with the red signs dominating the unit.

Bradford Council is expected to make a decision on the application, which asks to keep the "assertive" signage, later this month.

The unit is part of a row of buildings dating back to the 1870s and was listed by Historic England in 1983.

It is described as "a long block of four-storey ashlar elevations with restrained Italianate detail designed by Lockwood and Mawson".

The retrospective application acknowledged the signage was installed on the listed Bradford Conservation Area building without permission, but claimed it was done so in a "sensitive" way.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the application states: "The signage's scale and siting ensure that no significant architectural or historic elements are obscured or harmed.

"The design is proportionate and non-illuminated, thereby reducing both physical and visual intrusion."

"It has been fixed using discreet methods that avoid damage to the polished marble and prevent irreversible alteration of historic fabric."

The applicant said the "assertive" colour used was "consistent with the established urban character" and reflected the area's "commercial vibrancy".

Earlier this week a neighbouring business, Cash Generator, also submitted retrospective plans to keep unauthorised modern signage on a listed building in the same area, which have already been rejected once.

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