March 29, 2021 11.30 am This story is over 36 months old

Council stands ground on Pelham Centre ad boards with second refusal

Applicant appeal “a last resort”
Original and amended position of ad boards on Pelham Bridge.

City of Lincoln Council has again refused planning permission to build a digital advertising board overlooking Pelham Bridge for the second time.

Alight Media submitted the plans in November 2020 but were refused in January 2021 due to the council deeming it as being “visually intrusive” and not respecting the character of the surrounding area.

The application was resubmitted in February 2021 with changes made, but has yet again been refused by the council, with developers considering appeal as a last resort if a conclusion isn’t made.

In a statement, the council said: “The signs, by reason of their size, position, height and design as illuminated digital screens, would appear visually intrusive and prominent in the street scene and would fail to respect the character of the surrounding area, causing harm to amenity and to scenic and historic views.”

One change applicants made to original plans was moving the sign 30m south from its original position, improving the view of Lincoln Cathedral.

Another change was making the pole supporting structures less bulky, slimmer and, therefore, less intrusive. The height of the ad boards was also reduced from 8m to 6m.

Planning documents said: “The applicant would like to confirm that he would prefer to continue engagement with the council, with a view to achieving a satisfactory conclusion to the application process.

“We trust that it is agreed by both parties that the appeal process should only be considered as a last resort.”

Proposed ad boards on Pelham Bridge.