Illuminated signage at Home Bargains warehouse approved

St Helens Council’s planning committee voted to grant advertisement consent for the signs at the unit at the Bold site.

The development, on land off the M62 at Bold, will include three warehouses in total. 

Work is underway to build a new distribution centre for Home Bargains which is planned to bring more than 1,000 jobs.

Construction is ongoing on the warehouse (Image: Newsquest)

The plans for the warehouses on green belt land were met with much opposition and were called in for a public inquiry but were granted final approval in November last year.

The application seeking consent to display seven internally illuminated fascia signs, four internally illuminated totem signs and one externally illuminated free-standing directional sign on land at Omega West, was submitted to St Helens Council earlier this year.

Planning officer Daley Parsonage recommended the advertisement consent is granted and said there was an additional condition attached to reduce the brightness of one of the proposed signs.

He told the committee: “The proposed signs are illuminated with the majority to face the motorway.

“In terms of highway safety, officers from the council’s Highway Department and National Highways both raised no objections on the grounds of safety.

“With regards to amenity, it is acknowledged that the proposed signs are large, however in the context of the building to which they are attached they are not considered to dominate the external appearance.

“Signs on industrial builds are not uncommon features in the area.

“The level of illumination is conditioned and ensures that they are consistent with other buildings in the area and given the separation distances from residential properties it is considered there is no impact on amenity of the closest residential properties.”

The site pictured earlier in the year after construction started (Image: Newsquest)

Adam Cornish, of planning agents Quod, representing the applicants said to the committee: “Signage is already a part and parcel of the area with a number of large distribution warehouses in its location.

“There is clear precedent of the acceptability of illuminated signage in the area. However, TJM have sought to minimise any impact of the proposed signage” and reduced the amount “compared to other distribution centres”.

He said there “are only two signs facing the south” where residential properties are located.

Mr Cornish added that the additional units expected to be built to the south as part of the overall development “will screen the advertisements from residents”.