A PROPOSED plaque to commemorate Britain’s biggest earthquake may have to be resized or moved because it creates too much “visual clutter.”

Colchester High Steward Sir Bob Russell has applied to install a momento - roughly 35cm in diameter - on the tower of the United Reform Church in Lion Walk, Colchester, which survived the seismic event in 1884.

Colchester Council officers recommended the installation could go ahead, but only if a different location could be found or the plaque is made smaller for fear of damaging the building or making in look unsightly.

The experts said they were willing to talk to Sir Bob to find a better place for it but he believes there is only one suitable location.

He said: “The application is recommended for consent but the conditions make it impossible to carry out a more honest recommendation would be refusal.

“The plaque is smaller than the so-called clutter of the church signs which are hung with sky hooks or Blue tac or been screwed to the wall.

“This is a building which has been damaged in the earthquake of 1884 and the committee has been told two screw holes will do more damage to the building than the earthquake.

“It is difficult to see how a plaque could do any harm.

“There is nothing in Colchester to commemorate it, there is a plaque on North Hill that refers to an earlier earthquake but the biggest in British recorded history there is none.”

Sir Bob accused the council of double standards by allowing yellow signs on North Station Road as part of the Fixing The Link project.

He said: “The council wants to preserve listed buildings in their settings - you’ve got yellow banners up and down North Hill which cost £100,000 - this is going to be done at no cost to the public purse.

“To say it would cause harm is almost planning satire.

“Shop windows are all clutter.

“The sole surviving part of the church was demolished 30 years ago so to have this plaque of a different size and different location destroys the whole point.”

“it is the tower which survived the earthquake - nothing else.”

The planning committee agreed with officer's recommendations.

Editor's note: A Colchester Council spokesman said the flags on North Station Road cost £5,881 and were a small part of the wider Fixing the Link project to connect the town centre with North Station.

The project was jointly funded by the authority, Essex County Council and Greater Anglia.