Restaurant threatened with £2,500 fine in row over its signs

Wales Online

4 days ago

Restaurant threatened with £2,500 fine in row over its signs
Il Gusto restaurant in Abergavenny has been threatened with enforcement action over the two internally-illuminated signs that have been in place for more than three years
Il Gusto's signs illuminated at night on the popular Frogmore Street in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service )
A family-owned Italian restaurant could be forced to remove its illuminated signs and may face a hefty £2,500 fine in a row over lighting.
Il Gusto in Frogmore Street in Abergavenny was told its bright signs on the restaurant's front are not in keeping with the conservation area. Last month it emerged the restaurant had been embroiled in a legal row with Monmouthshire County Council over the signage after the local authority told the building's owner Peter Woolley it would have no choice but to seek prosecution at magistrates' court should action not be taken to alter the signage.
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Bemused Mr Woolley has claimed in an interview with the local newspaper the Abergavenny Chronicle: "The attack on my tenants is based solely on a subjective opinion."
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He pointed to there being no fixed rule on what constitutes lighting which is not in keeping while other restaurants and stores in the town use similar lighting at the front of their premises.
The legislation enforced by the local planning authority states: 'Signage should not unacceptably detract from the character or appearance of the area and would not result in undue visual clutter.'
The owner of the building said he is baffled by what has happened
(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service )
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Il Gusto has now submitted an application to retain the two internally-lit fascia signs flanking its arched entrance. Mr Woolley said he has sought retrospective planning permission to keep the signs which have been in place for more than three years and were initially used by former tenants Amos and later adapted for Il Gusto.
Mr Woolley's planning document highlights the "extensive illuminated frontage" of the Tesco store opposite Il Gusto in Frogmore Street.
The supermarket's lighting was lauded as "a clear example of development that contributes significantly to the overall illumination level and modern visual character" of the town's conservation area in a 2016 appraisal by the planning department.
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The statement further clarifies that Il Gusto aimed to "closely reflect" the previously approved colour scheme used by the nearby Prezzo restaurant.
They chose black UPVC panels with "discreet" white backlit lettering and the signs are only lit until the restaurant's closing time at 10pm.
"These examples demonstrate that lighting is an accepted and established element within the conservation area's character. In this context the modest and discreet illumination of Il Gusto's signage is entirely in keeping with its surroundings and does not detract from the area's character or heritage value," the statement reads.
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"Enforcing action against an independent restaurant for using illuminated signs – when similar signs by national brands have been allowed – raises serious concerns about fairness and consistency. It risks sending the wrong message that local independents aren't being treated equally."
A spokesman for the council said last month: 'The local planning authority are collaborating with the owners to address the unauthorised signage to ensure the special character of the conservation area is protected.'