Projecting and hanging signs

Blinds, canopies and shutters

2.3.33 The use of well designed blinds along Market Street and High Street could provide rhylhm and colour enhancing the shopping character of the area and giving shelter to pedestrians and extemolly displayed goods. The colour, style, location and number of blinds will have a major effect on the streetscene and so control and guidance 1s required. There is a historic precedent for straight roller or apron blinds in the area dating from the rnid-19th century. Blinds may be wholly inappropriate on some Georgian or earlier buildings.

2.3.34 Canvas flat blinds are the traditional torm found within the area. "Dutch" blinds should be avoided as they generally weather poorly and are often in a standardised plastic form. 1·f blinds are installed "they should be seen as an integral part of the shopfront design, being fully retractable into a blind box which itself does not protrude in front of t he fascia or pilast ers being positioned in line with the c1 rchitrave. Canopies should not be fitted across pilasters or shopfront surrounds.

2.3.35 If shutter blinds are used for night-time security they should be integrated into the shopfront, with individual blinds for windows and doors. Where blinds are necessary they should be 'open-weaved' and should prefcrc1bly be inside the window with partial internal lighting. If external shutters are required, the shutter box should be treated as a part of the shopfront design and should not project in front of the fascia or pilasters. The use of solid blinds should be avoided as they create a completely blank frontage at night and create a dead town centre after shopping hours.

Other signage

2.3.36 Although signs on the inside of a shop window, or displayed within a shop unit, do not require planning consent. they can severely detract from the visual amenity of the Town Centre. Large areas covered by window sticl<ers and large illuminated signs within the shop are not acceptable. Acceptable forms of internal signage include signwriting on the glazing c1nd wet\ designed suspended signs.

Upper floors

2.3.37 Upper floor business premises should be advertised by lettering applied directly to the inside of the windows. By contrast, 'loud' poster displays are unattractive and inappropriate.

Materials and details

2.3.38 The number of materials in a shopfront design should be kept to a minimum. Over-elaborat e shopfronts may have a detrimental impact on the traditional frontage and should therefore be avoided. Timber is the trnditional material for shopfronts and should be used on older buildings, where its finish and detailing sho1.J ld reflect the architecture o-f the whole facade. If it is regularly maintained it can have a long life, and avoids the rapidly dating look of many alternative materials.