DESPITE a petition signed by over 3,000 supporters, Wareham's historic Rex cinema is to lose its illuminated cube lights.

A government planning inspector has dismissed an appeal by the cinema to keep the lights, and has agreed with Purbeck District Council that they are unsuitable in a conservation area.

The volunteer-run cinema is Britain's only remaining gas-lit cinema and the cinema directors believed the new lights attracted an increase in visitors. They cost £1,500 to install as a replacement to a rusty old sign in danger of falling down.

But in a report of his decision, the planning inspector stated the lights are "bulky in appearance and are intrusive elements on the finely detailed faade of the grade II listed building and, together with the haphazard arrangement of the cable supplying power to each sign, harm its special architectural interest." He also stated: "The three signs are located in a particularly prominent location and to permit such bulky signs would result in them visually dominating the surrounding area.

"I have considered the use of a planning condition restricting the hours of illumination, but in my view this would not overcome the visual impact during daylight hours and would be impractical to enforce without regular monitoring by the local planning authority.

"I therefore conclude that the three internally illuminated signs would fail to preserve the character of the conservation area."

First published: August 15