A LANDLORD is at war with council bosses after they threatened him with legal action unless he takes down an advertising board which has boosted business for decades. 

David Rayner, 72, is the owner of multiple properties, including a building in Butt Road, Colchester, which is now used by Wilco Motor Spares.

For more than 60 years, a sign has adorned the side of a neighbouring semi-detached house, advertising the business in operation next door.  

The current wall-based advertisement, believed to measure three metres by two metres, according to the BBC, highlights the services on offer at Wilco Motor Spares.

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Bosses at Colchester Council, however, have now instructed Mr Rayner to remove the sign, due to Butt Road now being a designated conservation area.

But if he fails to do so, he could face prosecution and financial penalties, despite the sign being present since 1959, when his father purchased the site.

Speaking to BBC Essex, Mr Rayner said: “It’s just amazed me - they decided they'll get the sledgehammer out and that sign has to go.

“The only way I can defend it is be prepared to spend probably £10,000 or whatever fighting the case.

"If the council spoke to us in a more normal manner and outlined what they were trying to achieve we might have been prepared to discuss it.”

Mr Rayner first became aware of the issue in June when he received a Section 330 notice from the council asking for information about the sign.

A spokesman for Colchester Council said: “Following the introduction of the recently designated Mill Field Estate Conservation Area and the Garrison Conservation Area, the display of advertisements on the site is considered detrimental to the visual amenity of the area due to the scale, prominence and visual intrusion of the signage.

“The use of the land for the display of advertisements also degrades the appearance of the junction on which the site is located, which is identified as being problematic in the adopted Management Proposals for the Mill Field Estate Conservation Area.

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“The council’s adopted Management Proposals for the Mill Field Estate Conservation Area also advise that signage should be small and discreet, and large plastic signs, advertisement banners and other intrusive modern signage will be resisted by the council.

“The advertisements in the location, to which this notice relates, run contrary to this guidance, wider policy objectives and the statutory tests for the preservation and enhancement of Conservation Areas, as set out under Section 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

“The council is supportive of well-designed signage that is contextually sensitive and would be pleased to discuss alternative designs with the site owner.”