PLANS by officials at a Barnard Castle DIY store to brighten up the dull exterior of their building have been scuppered.
Last month, staff at Maxwell’s DIY came up with the idea of a giant mural on the store wall which faces onto the public car park in the town centre.
They hoped it would create a talking point and help draw more customers through the door.
Before progressing with the scheme, residents and visitors were asked what they thought.
However, general manager Dave Greenwell said the plan had been dropped after opposition from Durham County Council’s planning department.
Officials told him they would not support an application for a mural on the building.
In a letter from the county council, Maxwell’s was told: “This proposal would be considered detrimental to the character and appearance of Barnard Castle conservation area.
“The proposal would draw undue attention to what is at present a simple elevation of a modern outbuilding, facing onto the car park whose surrounds are characterised by modest plain development, most of which are the rear elevations of properties facing outwards onto the surrounding streets.
“Therefore, in its current state this proposal could not be supported from a design and conservation perspective,” it adds.
“We would welcome for consideration any alterations to this property, (which could include potential changes such as cladding, new signage, etc) however, these should be informed by the simple context in which this building is located.
“The local planning authority would not support a planning application for the decorative mural and would advise against progressing with an application.”
Mr Greenwell said: “I would like to thank the people of Barnard Castle for the comments posted on our website and Facebook page and would welcome any feedback at any time.”
