Birdham Pool Marina's new sign gets go-ahead

The application site is a small triangular shaped grass verge at the entrance to the marina and boatyard accessed from Court Barn Lane.

Since the parish council objected to the plans it had to be heard by Chichester District Council’s planning committee, which approved the application last Wednesday.

The parish council felt the introduction of yet another sign within the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty would be a ‘further intrusion into the visual amenity of the area’.

But Mike Braidley, group operations director at Castle Marinas, which runs Birdham Pool, explained that the sign was required ‘for the safe and effective operation of the marina’.

It had replaced an existing sign that had been there for ten years and was seen as an improvement.

He added: “The scale and design of the sign is appropriate for the area.”

Graeme Barrett (Ind, West Wittering) pointed out that the Chichester Harbour Conservancy had raised no objection and felt some of the issues raised were ‘somewhat unjustified’.

Tricia Tull (Con, Sidlesham) raised no concerns about the design but suggested it could have been smaller and nearer the corner as it was a ‘great pity it’s plonked in front of that tree’.

She added: “I think it’s insensitively located and a company like that should not have done it before planning permission was granted.”