PLANNERS are to crack down on unauthorised signs in Weymouth and Portland.

Planning manager Simon Williams said the council had tried to strike a balance between the need for businesses to advertise and the need to maintain the attractiveness of the borough.

He told members of the planning and traffic committee that recently there had been a problem with signs put up on buildings without an application for advertisement consent and, in some cases, for listed building consent.

He added: "It is noticeable some national companies with a set image install adverts and signs before an application has been submitted or a decision made by the planning authority.

"The signs often do not have regard to the appearance of the building on which they are erected."

Mr Williams said: "The 'national format' is what the applicant wants and in the agent's view the appearance of the building is secondary."

He added that this 'image-is-all' approach was demonstrated by H Samuel's proposal to remove the clock from outside its building in St Mary Street, a move which was refused listed building consent.

Unless signs were controlled businesses could enter into a 'bigger, higher, brighter' competition which was unsightly and not the image that the borough wanted to project, he said.

He asked councillors to give him authority to take action 'as necessary and appropriate' over unauthorised signs as 'the sooner we can nip such signs in the bud the better'.

But a furious Coun John Birtwistle was strongly against delegation, citing one incident which he said was 'a disgrace,' where the town's Old Rooms Inn was asked by letter to take a sign down and threatened with action and a heavy fine.

Mr Williams admitted there was scope for improvement perhaps with an initial personal approach and a simplified letter, but he said if regulations were not spelt out it could undermine the council's position if a case went to appeal.

Coun Peter Farrell asked for ward councillors to be consulted over signs while chairman Coun Doug Hollings said the first approach should be 'much more informal'. Members agreed future delegation on a 5-2 vote.