Controversial signs generate a rejection

The Cash Generator in Royton wi the offending signs

PEOPLE power in Royton saw the owners of a set of advertising signs bow to community pressure and remove them.

Mark Goodwin, administrator of the eRoyton online forum, spoke against a retrospective application for eight Cash Generator signs on the outside of the former Barclays Bank building in Rochdale Road.

In October last year the company was ordered by Oldham Council to take down signs in the old window of the historic building.

Mr Goodwin said: “The signs were not discreetly placed. They stuck out like a sore thumb on one of Royton’s most prominent buildings.”

He told the planning committee how an online poll of 122 people who were asked whether they liked the signs resulted in 117 responding no and just five in favour.

Mr Goodwin said the director of Cash Generator, who had contacted him, had been unaware of the community’s strength of feeling against the signs and said that people in other areas of the UK were pleased with the colourful signs.

But following the poll, a request was sent to the company’s estates department and the signs were removed the next day.

Mr Goodwin said: “The applicant listened and removed them.”

When asked why the application had been brought to the committee, Mr Goodwin said he believed the application had been submitted before the strength of feeling in the community. was known.

Councillors unanimously refused the application.

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