RESIDENTS have lodged a petition against a roadside advertising board opposite the entrance to an estate.

Earlier this year, Blackburn with Darwen Council granted permission for three roadside hoardings at sites including land opposite Hall Moss Business Park, Bolton Road, Darwen, land at the corner of Salford / Penny Street, Blackburn and land opposite Whalley Old Road / Notre Dame Gardens junction.

Now Notre Dame Gardens residents have written to the council expressing their displeasure at the “unsightly” advertising panel on Whalley Old Road, with 31 people signing a petition to the council asking when planning permission was granted and who was consulted prior to approval.

The petition reads: “We, the petitioners, do not approve of the unsightly advertising panel that has been erected opposite the entrance to Notre Dame Gardens and request its removal.

“The petitioners would like to know if and if so when was planning permission given for this structure and when and who was consulted prior to this, which we believe is the usual requirement before decisions are made.”

When approval was granted, assessment of the application was limited to its impact on public amenity and highway safety.

It was considered that the advertisements were appropriately sited. so as not to conflict with public amenity or highway safety; in accordance with national and local policy.

The application was lodged in January and approved by a planning officer in March using delegated powers.

There is no statutory duty to carry out public consultation for an application for advertisement and so residents nearby were not notified of the application.

The petition is to be noted by committee members and the lead petitioner will be informed of any decision taken.

In a report detailing the decision to approve the application, planning officer Nick Blackledge said: “The National Planning Policy Framework attaches great importance to the design of the built environment and recognises that poorly-placed advertisements can have a negative impact on the built and natural environment and that control over outdoor advertisements should be efficient, effective and simple in concept and operation.

“Only those advertisements which will clearly have an appreciable impact on a building or on their surroundings should be subject to the Local Planning Authority’s detailed assessment.”

“The signs are not illuminated and will not impede visibility for users of the highway or of other pre-existing directional signs nearby.”