Oxford business not allowed to light up giant magenta signs

Magenta Self-Storage Facility in Botley Road, a large red-brick building opposite Waitrose, applied for retrospective permission to illuminate the signs on the outside of the business.

The plans said the owners wanted to light up two large, rectangular signs colours magenta pink, with the word ‘magenta’ written on them in white, using LED strip lighting.

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This was described as a ‘subtle’, efficient’ and ‘unobtrusive’ new lighting scheme in submitted plans, neighbours left comments to indicate they disagreed.

Magenta Self-Storage facility on Botley Road, with the contested signs up (Image: Google)

One anonymous local, who lives in Botley Road, said: “The applicants claims that the lighting will be ‘subtle and unobtrusive’ and will ‘integrate seamlessly’ are patently untrue.

“A statement I can make based on my wife and I having to make changes to our nightly routine to stop the glaring lights shining into our bedroom late at night.

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“The shopfront is already something like 20 metres in length, and completely unmissable to all who pass by, so it is difficult to understand why the applicant feels the need to increase visibility late at night.”

Oxford City Council has now refused consent to display the illuminated advertisement, as they ‘would not create an appropriate visual relationship with the character and appearance of the building’.

The council’s planning officer said: “The proposed externally illuminated signs, by reason of its size, siting and illumination would result in unnecessary and unacceptable levels of light pollution and spillage, which would have an unacceptable impact on the residential amenity of nearby dwellings on Botley Road and Riverside Road.”