AN advertising company is appealing against a Bradford Council decision to block it from installing digital billboards on a prominent city centre site.

Earlier this year planning officers refused Monster Displays proposals to install two 6.4m by 3.4m signs on an empty plot of land at Richard Street - near the junction of Leeds Road and Shipley Airedale Road.

The land is the site of a former warehouse that was demolished in 2009, and has been empty ever since.

The applicants said the large signs would bring more life to the site, which is passed by thousands of motorists every day.

But planning officers said the signs would "be highly prominent and appear particularly intrusive in this location and on this main transport corridor of Bradford."

Government inspector sides with Council in digital sign decision

Now the company has lodged a planning appeal to overturn that decision - pointing out other digital signs that have been approved in the city.

A similar sign at the Leisure Exchange was initially refused by the Council, but later granted on appeal.

The appeal says: "The appellant was disappointed and frustrated that the Council were not prepared to give

positive consideration to the appeal scheme which is clearly acceptable.

"It is considered that the appeal proposal would mirror the consented display at the Leisure Exchange, as it would exhibit the same operational characteristics of illumination and static images.

"The dimensions of the proposed displays are similar to not only those of the consented digital display at the Leisure Exchange, but also many other 48 sheet roadside advertisements displayed with consent around the city.

"The adjacent section of the main radial route of Shipley Airedale Road reflects a strong commercial and industrial character, and it is not considered that the proposed displays would constitute prominent or intrusive features in the street scene."

A decision on the site will be made by a government appointed planning inspector in the coming weeks.