“Garish” signs installed on shop fronts in Sandbach town centre have prompted calls for rules to be tightened.
At a meeting of the town council’s Planning Committee on Monday, members said they planned to meet Cheshire East’s enforcement and conservation teams to make sure “this type of incident” did not happen again.
It came after two new shops opened their doors last week on the corner of Congleton Road and Green Street – Fresh Fades barbers, featuring a black sign with large blue lettering, and Marvel Corner Shop, which showed colourful images of snacks, drinks and vaping products, with modern black and white signage.
Photos of the shops were shared on social media by residents concerned that the style was not in keeping with Sandbach, which lies within a conservation area.
Victoria Knox, who owns Lady Victoria barbers on High Street, said Cheshire East’s planning enforcement team “came down on her like a ton of bricks” when she first opened her shop in 2016.
She said: “They were there as soon as I was doing any renovations, telling me what I could and couldn’t do.
“They said I couldn’t have any other colour than cream or white, couldn’t put up a barber’s pole outside or have any advertising.
“Next door tried to paint their shop green, but complaints went into the council and they had to change it to white again.”
She felt the council’s enforcement team seemed to have become “lax” since covid.
She said: “My problem is that these shops aren’t in keeping with the town. We live in a market town and it’s starting to look like Nantwich Road in Crewe – and that’s not where I want to live.”
When the shop first opened its doors two weeks ago, she said there was “drug paraphernalia” (bongs, which can legally be used for smoking tobacco) displayed in the window, but after comments were made on social media, they were replaced with toys.
Ms Knox said: “Who are they trying to attract? People don’t want another vape shop – they don’t want shops that are encouraging young people to go in and buy energy drinks and vapes.”
After being contacted by multiple residents, Coun John Arnold, who is the current mayor, told “The Chronicle” that he had never seen so much engagement from members of the public on a subject – even parking charges.
He said: “Over the last 48 hours I’ve been inundated with concerns over the brightly coloured signage and window decorations. I share those concerns.”
Following the social media outcry, the signs were removed and replaced. The Marvel Corner Shop removed its colourful images of snacks and reduced the size of its main sign.
Fresh Fades now features a pale green sign with white lettering.
The business owner later posted on social media: “I apologise for not knowing that this is a conservation area, otherwise I would never have made that mistake.
“I have now changed the sign. If this new sign causes any concern, I will change it without hesitation for a sign that is suitable.”
At a town council planning committee meeting on Monday, chair Mike Muldoon said he had requested a meeting with Cheshire East’s planning enforcement and conservation teams.
He said: “Members of the public are quite rightly very annoyed and frustrated about this, but there is a process we have to go through to get it sorted out.
“We have requested a meeting to come up with a final decision that we can take forward as a council, to make sure this type of incident doesn’t happen again.”
After the meeting, Coun Muldoon said the date for the meeting had not yet been confirmed.
