A tanning salon boss has lost his battle to keep a poster of a bikini-clad woman on his window after complainants branded it “offensive”. Jim Cole, 29, paid £700 for the image of a model on a beach to brighten up the shop and offer privacy to clients.
But the display at the Malibu Tanning Lounge in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, sparked complaints when it was put up last October. Harborough District Council told Jim he needed planning permission.
Jim sought retrospective permission, but this was turned down because the décor affected the "character and appearance" of the town. He appealed the decision in January, but a government planning inspector upheld the council's decision after officers visited the town last month.
The vinyl panels are fitted to the windows to allow privacy for customers using the tanning beds inside, as well as hiding the till and computers. The shop also features a side window plastered with a poster of a topless male model.
Jim said an officer from the council told him "two people" in the town – which has a population 85,000 - had complained. In their report, the planning inspector said the saucy images caused “detriment” to the character of the area.
The inspector said: "I found that the window graphics, because of their size and siting on all panes of the bay, are highly visible in a prominent location on one of the principal approaches into the square and broadly opposite the entrance to the Commons public car park. They would therefore detrimentally affect the character and appearance of the conservation area, equating to harm to the amenity of the area."
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The inspector went on to say the display was "overwhelming to the modest shopfront", because the images were plastered on all the windows. The report added that this was to the "detriment of the host property".
Jim now faces a bill of thousands to change the image and the interior of his shop or face further legal action. He can appeal to the High Court, but only on a point of law.
He said: "We just can't believe it, we think it's ridiculous. It's clearly not an explicit image.
"It's just a happy woman relaxing on a beach and I found it hard to believe anyone would find it offensive. I'm going to have to reconfigure the whole shop and move beds around, which will cost me thousands of pounds."
A council spokesperson said: "The council welcomes the decision of the Planning Inspectorate due to having concerns about the signage’s impact on the conservation area and town centre in Market Harborough, with the signage being highly visible in a prominent location. We encourage people to make the most of our pre-planning application advice service prior to submitting planning applications.”
