A CAMPAIGNER has voiced concerns after bright yellow and blue signage was installed without permission on a listed building in Bradford city centre.

The signage for national pawnbroker Cash Generator was put up on the building - on the corner of Kirkgate and Bank Street - in September.

The property in question - Pearl Assurance House - is a Grade-II listed building which was constructed in 1876 and designed by acclaimed architects Lockwood and Mawson.

No applications for listed building consent or advertising consent were submitted before the signs were installed - and Bradford Civic Society had urged Bradford Council to investigate the unauthorised work.

As reported by the Telegraph & Argus earlier this month, Cash Generator has now applied for both retrospective advertising consent and listed building consent for the signage.

Decisions on the two applications are still pending.

Gordon Campbell-Thomas, one of the founders of conservation group The Ghost of William Etty, raised concerns about the bright yellow and blue signage being "slapped up on a Grade II-listed building without prior planning permission".

He told the T&A: "It's ridiculous if not downright morally wrong.

"Any business should take into account their location - including the history and heritage of the site."

He urged Bradford Council to take action - saying Cash Generator "should know about getting planning permission". 

The T&A asked Cash Generator for a response - but no comment was received.

In September, Bradford Civic Society wrote to Bradford Council planning officers over what it called the "garish" Cash Generator signage.

The society called on the company to install a more sympathetic shopfront, with relevant planning permission, to avoid a potentially costly enforcement process.

With Primark recently vacating its large unit opposite, and Santander and Superdrug, respectively, relocating to Broadway too, the area has suffered high vacancy rates in recent years. 

The civic society warned that such signage was unattractive to city centre visitors - and undermined the nearby newly-built market on Darley Street.

Si Cunningham, chair of the civic society, said: "I'll keep pushing for the highest standards of design in Bradford city centre, whether it's a pawnbrokers or a patisserie, because the way a shop or a street looks has a huge impact on how people feel."

Cash Generator did not respond to the civic society's concerns when approached by the T&A in September.