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Search the Public Notice PortalA convenience shop in a former pub may have to remove signs that have been in place for months after a council ruling.
Premier Shop has been operating out of the Cross Keys in Rowde, near Devizes, since earlier this year, bringing a historic business premises back into action after the pub shut its doors for good in 2023.
The venue, constructed in the late 1930s after the original 400-year-old coaching inn was destroyed in a fire, had been closed and disused for nearly three years by the time Premier’s bid to redevelop the site was approved.
After putting its well-known branding up on the outside of the shop, in late September the convenience chain applied to have the signage regularised with a retrospective planning application.
However, on November 4, Wiltshire Council refused their bid to keep the signs, meaning the advertising is now unauthorised, and the council may take further action.
In total, the advertisements consist of four fascia signboards, and 10 poster boards on the outside of the building.
Consent had been sought retrospectively for the advertisements to have a display period from April 23, 2026 to May 28, 2036, but the shop will now have to reconsider.
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The council said that while no unacceptable impact on public safety was identified during their assessment, the advertisements result in an “excessive and visually intrusive form of advertising which fails to respect the distinctive architectural character of the host building.”
The refusal reason continues by saying that given the general characteristic of the area, which features a number of grade II-listed buildings, the new signage does “unacceptable harm” to the area.
In their report on the application, a planning officer for Wiltshire Council cited representations it had had from
Rowde Parish Council supported the plan, but the bid faced staunch opposition from Wiltshire Council’s Conservation Officer who objected on a number of grounds.
The Conservation Officer recorded that the Cross Keys is considered a “non-designated heritage asset (NDHA) of architectural and historical interest”, and said that the number, size, materials and “bright corporate appearance” of the advertising are considered “prolific and unsympathetic” to the character of the area.
The planning officer also cited third-party representations received saw objections revolve around the “excessive and visually intrusive” character of the advertising and its impact on a rural heritage area.
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