A LARGE billboard on the edge of Bellway Homes’ Elphinstone development has been ordered to be removed after a second planning application for the sign was rejected, as planning officers labelled it “dominant, intrusive and out of place”.

The company’s Elfenne Gardens development of 90 three and four-bedroom homes, north of Main Street at Castlehill, on the village’s western edge, is currently under construction.

The sign – measuring 9.15m wide and 3m high, supported by aluminium posts 6.5m in height – was first erected in July and faced towards the A1 to the north.

It was criticised by local residents and councillors before an application for retrospective planning permission was rejected in October, with the planning committee’s report stating that the sign was a “harmfully prominent, intrusive and incongruous feature” and was “harmful to its landscape setting”.

READ MORE: Giant Bellway Homes sign refused planning permission

The developer resubmitted an application for the sign last month, with a supporting statement from Derek Scott Planning stating that similar signs had been approved by East Lothian Council at the new town of Blindwells.

The statement said: “Prior to erecting the signage, [our client’s] attention had been drawn to the fact that consent had been granted, albeit for limited periods, for a number of other larger signs on significantly more prominent locations advertising development schemes next to the A1 at Blindwells and Wallyford.

“The circumstances under which our client’s sign has been erected are very similar to those described above.

“In short, the council has not acted consistently in the determination for applications of signage proposals of the nature proposed on our client’s site.”

However, the resubmitted application has also been rejected by the council’s planning department.

The reasons for rejection in the notice were given as: “In its prominent roadside location and isolated position distant from the houses advertised, the advertisement signage is a dominant, intrusive and out-of-place advertisement display harmful to the amenity of the area.

“To grant advertisement consent for the display of this advertisement signage would set an undesirable precedent for the display of further advertisements on this part of B6414, Elphinstone, that would create advertisement clutter, the cumulative effect of which would be detrimental to the amenity of the area.”

Bellway Homes has been given three months to appeal the decision or remove the sign before East Lothian Council will take action against the developer.

Councillor Lee-Anne Menzies, ward member, said: “I am delighted at this decision. I have been quite vocal in my opposition to the sign and I know many in Elphinstone feel the same way.

“The decision to resubmit the application, knowing what the opinion of the community was, showed a lack of care from Bellway.

“I understand their reasonings in the supporting statement, but comparing Elphinstone to Blindwells is like comparing apples and pears; they are totally different.”

Bellway Homes has been contacted for comment.