Turkish barbers in beautiful UK town ordered to tear down 'garish' shop front sign

A Turkish barbershop has been refused permission for its "garish" shopfront sign after town hall planners ruled it caused harm to the character of a medieval market town. Karwan Ibrahimi, 27, who runs Turkish Barber 2 in picturesque Morpeth, Northumberland, applied for advertisement consent for the fascia sign, which has already been up for more than five years.

However, council planners deemed the neon frontage was "visually intrusive and out of keeping" with its historic surroundings in what is considered one of the North East's prettiest towns. The authority said the "unsympathetic design" with "overly bold colours" failed to "respect the established character" of the site and nearby Grade II-listed buildings within a conservation area. The application attracted 31 objections and complaints from residents, with some branding it "garish" and others labelling it an "eyesore". One even saying it belonged in "Las Vegas or Blackpool".

One local dad, Howard Bradwick, 59, said: "I'm all for supporting small businesses, but the sign makes it stand out like a sore thumb and would be more at home in Blackpool or Vegas.

"We've noticed a few of these barbers popping up more in Morpeth in recent years and we don't want to become one of those high streets full of Turkish barbers, charity shops and takeaways."

Another resident Andy Rayner complained: "The current sign is a complete eyesore and not in keeping with the aesthetic of the town."

Karen Charlton added: "The design is not sympathetic to the local character and does not contribute to the built environment. Its neon lighting is garish, distracting and visually harms the ambience of the town centre."

Michael Blackburn added: "The huge 3D block lettering and bright colouring are insensitive to this historic setting. It is, in my view, awful and completely out of character with the rest of the traditional shopfronts and modest hand-painted signage of the surrounding shops. If allowed this development could set a dangerous precedent, resulting in more similar applications, which would completely change the street scene."

Mr Ibrahimi has said he now faces having to tear down the sign and fears for the future of his business following the decision. He added: "I have had no letters from the council to tell say it has been refused so I do not know what to do next.

"They have not communicated anything with me. They haven't said what colour or what size is allowed. If I go to the sign shop, what am I telling them? They haven't told me anything and I am worried. We need to attract customers to our shop. Times are already difficult with business rates and bills.

"If the council told me what needed doing, I would do my best to accommodate their requests, because Morpeth is beautiful and we want to stay here. Times are really hard yet all we've had is problems with the council over our business. We are just trying to earn a living.

"It had been up for more than five years as well, so why only a problem now?"

The Northumberland County Council planning report, recommending refusal, stated: "The signage is considered unacceptable due to its design, scale and visual impact on the surrounding area.

"The sign, due to its unsympathetic design, use of overly bold colours, its overall size and proportions, and the additional visual impact arising from its illumination, collectively result in a visually intrusive form within the street scene and fails to respect the established character of the site and its surroundings. The signage appears overly dominant within the streetscape and does not relate sensitively to the established form, proportions, or materials of surrounding area and listed buildings.

"The concerns raised in the objections are noted and are considered to cause an unacceptable level of harm to the site and surrounding area."

A Morpeth Town Council spokesperson added: "Whilst the town council welcome and are supportive of new businesses, we will continue to protect the historic nature of the town and the aesthetic within which in turn contributes towards a thriving high street.

"Turkish Barber 2 had also stressed the importance of signage for promoting the business in a statement issued earlier this year.

They said: "As a small local barber shop, clear and visible signage helps customers easily identify our premises - particularly those who are new to the area or passing through the town.

"The sign supports footfall, promotes our services and ensures we can compete fairly with other businesses on the high street. It's a key part of how we attract customers and maintain the viability of the business."