Controversial plans to project adverts near Bath Abbey should not go ahead again unless directly approved by councillors, the chair of the council’s planning committee has indicated.

The advert would have been projected from the roof of Bath Abbey | Photo © Barnes Ian / Shutterstock.com
Sainsbury’s were controversially granted approval by Bath & North East Somerset Council to project a five by ten-meter advert onto a wall above a roof on York Street, just across Kingston Parade from Bath Abbey.
Dom Tristan, who stood unsuccessfully to become the Green MP for Bath last year, called the advert “a step too far”.
The advertisement consent was granted by officers in the council’s planning department under delegated powers, although the approval came too late for the advert to be shown.
But now any future plans for similar adverts are now likely to be brought before councillors on the planning committee.
Councillor Ian Halsall (Oldfield Park, Liberal Democrat) said: “As chair of the Bath and North East Somerset planning committee, if future proposals fall on my radar, I have advised the local ward councillors that it might be worth these being considered in public.”
Most minor planning applications are dealt with by planning officers, but local councillors can call for applications in their ward to be decided in public by the planning committee made up of elected councillors if they think they are important or controversial.
Sainsbury’s had applied to project the advert on 13th, 14th and 15th December, the last three days of the Bath Christmas Market, from which it would have been highly visible.
But planning officers only approved the plans on 23rd December, after the applied for days, making the approval effectively moot.
Any future plans to project adverts in the location would require a new application for advertisement consent.
But Mr Tristan warned: “This sets a worrying precedent that risks damaging Bath’s UNESCO World Heritage status. The council must prioritise the city’s unique character over corporate interests.”
Green councillor Saskia Heijltjes (Lambridge) added: “Bath’s heritage is not for sale. Allowing large corporations to use our public spaces for advertising erodes the identity that makes Bath special.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “Our Christmas advert, which featured the BFG, was all about helping the nation enjoy Christmas to its fullest.
“This was just one of the avenues we explored and with anything we plan to do within the communities we serve, we’d always take local views and feedback on board.”
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter