PROPOSALS to remove advertising boards along a busy road have been refused.

An application was submitted to Warrington Borough Council to upgrade the existing advertisement billboards on Wilson Patten Street.

Located next to Warrington Bank Quay railway station, the current boards would be removed and replaced with an LED screen.

But insufficient information provided by applicant Network Rail has seen the proposals refused in their current form by planning chiefs.

Located at the taxi entrance to the station, the new LED advert would measure 3.5metres in height and 6.5metres in width.

In their report, a council planning officer said: “The proposed LED screen would be located in the same location as an existing advertisement.

“It would result in a reduction to street clutter due to the removal of multiple billboards and their replacement with one screen.

“Therefore, it is not considered that a LED billboard in the location of the existing billboards on site would be unacceptable in principle.

“However, the submitted plans do not show the existing advertisements in their actual location.

“The site plans show the existing and proposed advertisements to be located in the road, when they are actually positioned against a brick wall to the side of the pavement, entirely off the carriageway.

“As the existing and proposed drawings are incorrect, insufficient information has been provided to determine the impacts of the scheme on amenity, public safety and the local highway network.”

The document adds: “In the absence of correct plans, there were no amendments to the scheme, or conditions which could reasonably have been imposed, which could have made the development acceptable.

“It was therefore not possible to approve the application.”