York signs row: Supporters gather in Lady Row to show solidarity

Supporters of The Old York Tea Room show their solidarity outside the cafe

Customers stood defiant in York's Lady Row on Friday to show their support for businesses during a planning row.

A protest had been planned outside The Old York Tea Room and Happy Valley Chinese restaurant, which have courted controversy by adding large signs above their doors.

But supporters headed to the street carrying placards reading "leave the lovely, historically-correct signage alone" to show their solidarity with the eateries.

The owners have been battling with the city council and a local history group to keep their signs, which critics deemed "too obtrusive" for a listed building.

Traders said they had taken great care to make sure their signs would be in keeping with the building's 700-year history.

However, a lone objector said the owners had "thwarted the democratic process" by submitting planning applications retrospectively.

Old York Tea Room owner Tony Vickers told the BBC the hand-painted sign was inspired by designs from years gone by

Tony Vickers opened The Old York Tea Room alongside his partner Thomas in February last year.

He said the planning row over his sign had been "very upsetting" and the controversy surrounding it was "not what they were here for".

Mr Vickers said: "We always had a dream of opening our own tea room, and we just needed the right building.

"We were looking for something really unique and we also wanted something very small that we could manage just on our own.

"When we were looking for units, we actually found two but the minute we walked into Lady Row, we fell in love with it."

Objectors criticised the two signs put up by businesses on Lady Row

After setting up the interior to look like his living room at home, Mr Vickers looked into what signage would suit the Grade I listed building, built in 1316.

"We did a lot of research into what was appropriate," he told the BBC.

"Hand-painted signs have always historically been on our buildings and our commercial units.

"It was the original way of describing what was inside the unit.

"When we researched it, we knew this would be the least damaging to this building, rather than hammering a sign in, rather than hanging boards. It just felt like the right thing to do."

Supporters of the tea room gathered outside to voice their solidarity with the owners

He therefore commissioned a local artist to paint the tea room's name with a picture of a teapot.

"We didn't apply for planning permission because we didn't feel we needed it because we met all the government guidelines," Mr Vickers added.

"We didn't touch any historical material because the render across the building is brand new."

However, a couple of months later, the sign attracted the attention of a member of the public, who Mr Vickers said came into the tea room to complain.

"He explained to us that we needed the planning permission, so as soon as that came to light, we then put a retrospective planning application in for the signage that we'd applied.

"This individual then decided last year to do a one-man protest outside our unit, which was crazy for us because we were doing everything we should have done."

The tea room is currently going through an appeal, after City of York Council denied its application for planning permission and ordered the sign's removal.

Happy Valley manager Junyue Tan said the sign on his Chinese restaurant was necessary as customers struggled to find it

A neighbouring business has also faced the same issues, after it received a letter from the council saying its first-floor sign would need planning permission.

Happy Valley Chinese restaurant has been in Lady Row for 22 years and said the sign put up last year was needed to attract customers.

"Customers could hardly find us before," said manager Junyue Tan.

"People would walk past two or three times and not realise we were there."

He explained that the boost in custom was desperately needed after insurance costs rocketed.

"A lorry crashed into the side of the building when it tried to get past a parked car and our prices went up," he said.

"A homeless man also set fire to our door, which made costs go up again to around £8,000 a year.

"Whenever there is a problem with the building, it is the businesses that pay, not the council or anyone else, but they tell us to take our signs down."

The Happy Valley sign has been put up with small nails and can be installed and uninstalled within an hour, the manager said.

He added that he would be willing to put in an appeal application if his retrospective planning permission was not granted.

Objector Jonathan Bonner said business owners had "thwarted the democratic process" by not applying for planning permission prior to erecting their signs

On the other side of the debate, objector Jonathan Bonner, who has lived in the city for 60 years, took issue with businesses making changes without following due process.

He told the BBC: "Over the last 20 years, I have objected to about 12 or 13 traders who have all made material alterations to the facades of their Grade I and Grade II listed buildings without applying for planning permission.

"If you make an alteration, in this case to a 14th Century building, without going through the democratic process, then you are taking it upon yourself to say 'I can do whatever I want to this building'."

Mr Bonner also criticised the lengthy process in York when it came to enforcement for denied applications.

Objector Mr Bonner speaking with supporters in a lively debate

He said: "That hypothetically means that you can get a Grade I listed building close to York Minster and paint it shocking pink with a Barbie mural on it, and that would be there for at least 18 months.

"We feel that when this is rolled out nationally, it threatens to dilute the historical integrity of buildings."

Despite the views of Mr Bonner and his group, the traders said they had been "overwhelmed with support" from locals.

"The public in York have been really good to Thomas and myself and to the business and to this building," Mr Vickers said.

"We've had such overwhelming support, it's just a really small minority who were against the signage."

City of York Council said it could not comment on ongoing planning applications.