Appeal rejected for a large digital billboard in Bridgwater due to worries about driver distraction and road safety.
The council said yes to one sign in September. It would be a smaller D6 size. However, the council rejected the bigger one (D46). This larger sign would be six meters long and measure 4.5 meters high.
The big sign would be next to the car wash and also bordered gas station grounds. Somerset Council thought it would distract drivers and worried this would make the road unsafe.
Wildstone Estates appealed the rejection. Sadly, the Planning Inspectorate said no on January 10, 2025. Inspector K Townsend visited the site in December 2024.
They thought the sign would distract drivers, even with guidelines. They noted concerns about pedestrian safety, and other drivers could also face risks. The inspector felt the D48 sign would hurt highway safety.
The smaller digital sign (D6) got approval. Officials will place it by the gas station’s entrance. The inspector said it wouldn’t hurt safety or the area.