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Bradford Civic Society are concerned that the Betfred signage was installed without proper permission
Investigations have begun regarding the appearance of shopfront signage for gambling company Betfred in the window of a well-known old department store.
According to a report by the BBC, Heritage organisation The Bradford Civic Society has raised concerns that the window vinyl has been installed without the betting company seeking advertising consent or planning permission.
Bradford Council has also weighed in, saying that the signs would be investigated by its planning team "as soon as possible."
The vinyl sign was installed in the windows of the Betfred unit on Market Street. The building itself is within a Conservation area, and dates back to the 1870s. The building was home to the Brown Muff department store from its opening until 1977, when it became the Rackhams division of House of Fraser. The department store closed in 1995.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), a conglomerate of journalists from local independent news outlets funded by the BBC, a spokesperson for Betfred has responded, saying that the company will "work with the council on this issue."
There have been further concerns raised in Bradford about modern shopfronts harming the appearance of older buildings.
In September, The Bradford Civic Society also raised concerns about signage from pawnbroker firm Cash Generator being installed on a Grade II listed city centre building. They described the shopfront display as “garish” and warned that it could cause “irreparable harm.”
The Cash Generator branch is based in the Pearl Assurance House building, which also dates from the 1870s.
Writing to city planning officers at the time, the civic society commented that the bright, modern signage was unsympathetic to the aesthetic of the building.
Bradford Civic Society chairman Si Cunningham reportedly said: “I’ll keep pushing for the highest standards of design in Bradford city centre, whether it’s a pawnbroker's or a patisserie, because the way a shop or a street looks has a huge impact on how people feel."
