Concern over betting shop sign on 'grand' building

Concerns the full length window vinyl was installed without proper permission were raised by Bradford Civic Society

Enforcement officers are investigating the appearance of a sign which has appeared in the window of a famous old department store.

The large, bright blue vinyl sign was installed in the Betfred unit on Bradford's Market Street, which is part of a building that dates back to the 1870s.

The Bradford Civic Society said it was concerned the window vinyl had been installed without the betting company seeking advertising consent or planning permission.

Bradford Council said the signs would be investigated by its planning team "as soon as possible".

The site, which is within a Conservation Area, was once the grand Brown Muff department store, which later became Rackhams before its closure in 1995.

Brown Muff was known as "the Harrods of the north", although it served the mass market as well as selling luxury goods. It eventually became part of the House of Fraser group.

The sign, which obscures about half of the unit’s Market Street elevation, features a collage of stock images of sports ranging from tennis to boxing.

A spokesperson for Betfred said the company would "work with the council on this issue", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The issue came at a sensitive time for the area, with work to pedestrianise Market Street nearing completion after years of planning.

The project, part of a wider scheme across the city centre, has transformed Market Street from a busy bus route to a pedestrianised street linking City Park to the Broadway shopping centre.

Before the work begun council officers said the pedestrianisation would "enhance the architecture" of Market Street's "many grand buildings".

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