Planning permission for a digital advertising screen at a prominent location on one of the main routes out of Blackpool has been refused by the local council, which considered the board would be “significantly detrimental to the visual amenities of the area”.
The application, made by Clear Channel, proposed that a six-metre-wide and three-metre-high digital display be placed 2.5 metres above the ground at the exit of the Esso forecourt facing the A583 near the junction with the M55 motorway.
Blackpool Council refused the application, saying that the advertising board would ”create a dominant, unduly intrusive and incongruous feature” on the “open setting”, while also being “highly visible from residential properties and streets in the area”. The council added that the plans would “not relate well to the host site” and would contribute to additional “advertisement clutter” in the area. Residential properties are located on the other side of the road within 100 metres of the petrol station, while 12 static caravans are located behind the site.
Despite these criticisms, Clear Channel has appealed the refusal, highlighting that Blackpool Council raised no safety issues relating to the proposals. Clear Channel also says the advertisement display would “be viewed as part of the commercial offering of the petrol station and would sit comfortably within the existing signage hierarchy of the site”, adding that its scale is “on par with the illuminated canopy”.
The advertising company also said that should permission for the board be granted on appeal, it would ensure the display would automatically dim and brighten depending on ambient light conditions, that no moving or flashing advertisements would be shown, and that the board would not be illuminated between the hours of 11pm and 6am.
