Row over roadside screen plans outside Ribble Valley restaurant

Tiggis in the Ribble Valley wants to site the illuminated ad board close to the main A59 between Samlesbury and Clitheroe to attract more trade.

But Clayton-le-Dale Parish Council has urged planning officers to throw out the idea, just as it did earlier this year with an application for a larger screen in the same spot.

Last time the proposed screen was 6.1-metres high, now the proposal is for a 4-metre high LED board with changing ads at 10 second intervals.

"We wish to strongly object to this application as it appears not to have changed significantly from the previous application," says the parish council.

"It is not suited to the character of the area and having changing images every 10 seconds is too distracting for drivers adjacent to two effectively concealed entrances, therefore posing health and safety concerns."

One local lodged an objection saying: "The illuminated sign would cause light pollution.

"It is completely out of character with the local area. It would be a distraction for drivers travelling along the A59.

"The junction with Showley Road is only a few metres away and it has been the site of several accidents over recent years. This proposal would only make matters worse."

Planning chiefs rejected the initial application for a 6.2-metre advertising board saying it that because of its size, illumination and design it would be "an over-dominant addition to the existing street scene which would largely be at odds with the existing smaller signage in the area."

They added that the screen would have "a detrimental impact on the visual amenities of the surrounding area."

The restaurant's agents assured the council that drivers would not be "startled or distracted" by the adverts.

They said the height and design of the proposed screen had been amended to "reduce its scale and visual impact."

"The advertisement would against a backdrop of the Tiggis building within a cluster of built development. It therefore need to be relatively prominent to stand out.

"The advertisement will replace an existing sign which is 2.7m in height but no longer meets the needs of the restaurant, which aims to modernise its advertising to attract customers in an increasingly competitive market."