Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning Control topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cabinet backs seeking special control over shop signage in Gloucester city centre
Summary
Cabinet supported delegating authority to apply to the Secretary of State to designate the city‑centre conservation area as an area of special control to tighten rules over shopfront signage; officers will consult the public and may seek funding to manage changes.
Cabinet approved a proposal to seek greater control over shopfront signage in Gloucester's city‑centre conservation area by asking the Secretary of State to designate the area as one of special control. Sarah, the cabinet member responsible for planning, told cabinet the measure would remove deemed consent for signage so that changes would require planning permission and better protect the city's historic character.
Sarah said the council currently has guidance and a shopfront design guide but cannot afford controls beyond listed buildings; designating the area would extend consent requirements to all buildings in the conservation area. She asked for authority to be delegated to the head of place and herself to make the application, to run a public consultation, and to allow officers to submit bids for funding to manage the controls.
Members welcomed the proposal but emphasised the need to give existing shop owners "sufficient notice and guidance" if signage replacement is required. The Chair and other councillors noted the proposal had been supported at scrutiny and that improved shopfront quality could attract investment and restore civic pride.
Article provenance: paper introduced by Sarah (cabinet member for planning) and supported by cabinet.
