Solihull Council has been overruled by a government planning inspector after refusing permission for an advertising display at the Esso petrol station in Kenilworth Road, Knowle. The inspector allowed the appeal on June 24, granting permission subject to conditions, marking another lost appeal for the council this year.
The council’s planning officers had refused the application in April, but the applicant, Wildstone Estates Limited, appealed the decision. The inspector, Mr Sedgwick, visited the site in June before making the ruling.
Application details and local refusal
The application was submitted in March by Wildstone Estates Limited, with planning agents Carter Jonas describing the proposal as a freestanding D6 small format advertising display. According to the agents, the display would show static advertisements on rotation and measure 1.23m x 2.4m x 0.22m, the same dimensions as a standard 6-sheet hoarding.
The agents stated the display would use LCD digital technology, which they described as durable, efficient, and easy to erect with minimal engineering. They added that the display would operate with threshold controls, timers, and light sensors to ensure luminance never exceeds the guideline figure at night time.
However, in April, Mark Andrews, the council’s head of planning, design and engagement services, issued a decision note refusing permission. He wrote that the proposed digital display sign, by reason of its appearance, size, and means of illumination, would constitute an obtrusive feature causing significant harm to the visual amenities of the conservation area, due to its contrary character and excessive addition to the presence of the filling station.
Inspector’s decision and rationale
The applicant appealed, and the government’s appointed planning inspector Mr Sedgwick visited the site in June. On June 24, the inspector intervened, allowing the appeal and granting permission subject to conditions.
In the published appeal decision, the inspector noted that the site is within the Knowle Conservation Area, where the key characteristic contributing to its significance is the rich diversity of buildings exhibiting different styles of architecture. The inspector observed that the proposed sign would be located next to a much larger totem sign set in front of the hedge and fence boundary with Cook Close.
Overall, given the modest size of the proposed sign, the commercial nature of the site, and the level of activity associated with it, the inspector considered the proposed sign would have no impact on amenity or the setting of non-designated heritage assets or the wider area.
Broader context of lost appeals
This decision is the latest in a poor run of lost appeals by Solihull Council this year, as previously reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Other successful appeals by applicants included an extension to a property in Shirley, a home extension in Knowle, and a new wall and gate at a property in Lovelace Avenue.
The appeal decision can be viewed by searching for application PL/2026/00422/ADV at the council’s online planning portal.
