Digital advert sign near Windle Social Club installed after appeal won

The Star reported last year after permission was denied by St Helens Council to display an internally illuminated free-standing digital sign near to Windle Social Club, on Dentons Green Lane.

However, the sign, situated close to another illuminated advertising sign, at the other side of the social club facing the opposite direction, is now in place as a planning inspector reversed the local authority's decision.

Applicants Wildstone Estates had their initial bid refused as council officers said it “would be out of character with this area” and create “an overtly commercial feature that would be particularly prominent and detrimental”.

The applicant said the proposed display would show “six advertising campaigns at a time, sequencing every ten seconds” and added “the ability to carry multiple adverts will cater for the demand in this area and reduce the pressure for new locations”.

Following the council’s refusal, an appeal was made to the Planning Inspectorate, which overturned the local authority’s decision in October last year.

The digital sign in place (Image: St Helens Star)

Outlining the reasons for the decision, planning inspector MJ Francis said: “Although the advertisement would be large, it would not be out of scale with the substantial, newly rendered, gable elevation of 35 Dentons Green Lane, which it would stand in front of” and “would not appear incongruous in this location”.

They added, that although the sign is located “on a prominent gateway corridor, it would be within a local commercial centre" and "would not detract from the visual amenity of the area”.

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While the council considered that the proposed sign and the previously existing sign nearby would cumulatively “have a negative effect and create visual clutter”, the planning inspector said the “advertisements would face in different directions so that occupiers of vehicles would not view the two together, and in general, neither would pedestrians”.

The other digital sign in the area, which faces the opposite direction, can be seen by motorists driving towards the town centre (Image: St Helens Star)

They added the area is “already well lit at night and “consequently, introducing an illuminated image would not add significantly to the existing light levels within the area”.

Also, the location of the advertisement “would mean that it would only be seen by drivers going in a north-westerly direction, away from the centre of the town”.

The inspector added: “I have concluded that the proposal would not harm public safety, the proposal does not conflict with this policy”.