Killjoy council officials order a farmer to remove his Hollywood-style hay bale sign in case it distracts drivers
- A farmer was ordered to remove his Hollywood-style sign for his new camp
- Mark Rutherford, 47, painted 13 silage bales to spell out ‘Camp Llandudno’
- He was told by spoilsport council officials that the sign in Wales could distract motorists.
A farmer has been ordered to remove a Hollywood-style sign painted on hay bales at his campsite by spoilsport council officials who believe it could distract drivers.
Fun-loving Mark Rutherford, 47, painted 13 bales of silage to spell out ‘Camp Llandudno’, the name of his new temporary camp on his farm.
But planning officials ordered him to remove the huge white lettering from the rolling hillside because it could “pose a threat to roads.”
It comes after Mark launched the new temporary trading company on his farm in the seaside resort of Llandudno, North Wales.
He insists there is public support for the sign and hopes “common sense will prevail”, but was forced to relent because he had “his hands full here without the need for a battle”.
Posting on Facebook, Mr Rutherford said: “It’s a sad day, the sign is down.”
‘It’s a visual mess, they (Conwy County Council) say, but the tents scattered across the fields during the month are fine!?’
He continued: ‘CCBC, this sign was not a visual blot on the field advertising pink refrigerators! It was tasteful, short-term advertising for an event on the land it was placed on.
‘Benefited the local economy and made its residents SMILE! It’s okay to be a little flexible sometimes and use common sense!’
A farmer in North Wales has been ordered to remove his Hollywood-style sign for his new campsite after the council received a complaint about “unauthorized advertising”.
Australian Mark Rutherford, 47, painted the 13 bales of silage to spell ‘Camp Llandudno’ but was told by a police officer that it might distract drivers.
The sign has now been removed from the hay bales as Mr Rutherford said he had his “hands full without needing another battle”.
Locals and visitors posted about the temporary sign online, describing it as “awesome” and “fun.”
Mr. Rutherford said: “There is a huge demand from the public to settle down and enjoy this beautiful area that we live in.”
‘On Friday and Saturday nights we have over 200 people here, many of whom go to Llandudno and Conwy during the day to spend their tourist money.
Originally from Australia, Mark moved to the area with his family 15 years ago, where he now tends a small herd of Hardy Welsh sheep.
He opened the campground offering 60 pitches with fire pits and a pizza oven on Aug. 2, but was ordered to remove the sign just two days later.
He received a lot of support online when he posted an update on Camp Llandudno’s Facebook.
‘How stupid,’ said a Conwy Town Council worker. ‘What damage is it doing? It draws people in and they will visit local areas and spend on food and drink. At least there they won’t litter the field or start fires.
Camp Llandudno offers 60 pitches with fire pits and a pizza oven and hosts over 200 people on weekends.
The site was opened using permitted development rights that allow owners to open temporary businesses for 28 days each year.
The Welsh government extended the scheme to 56 days last year to help businesses recover from Covid lockdowns.
It is now examining whether the extended time period should remain permanent to help Wales make the most of the boom in home holidays.
Mark added: ‘The enforcement officer told me it might distract motorists on Pentywyn Road. But that’s the point of having a sign in the first place.
‘I was surprised because you see temporary signs by the roads all the time.
‘Sometimes you need to have a little flexibility and show some common sense. I look forward to another talk with the council and hope that common sense prevails.
Conwy Council said it had received a complaint about the sign before warning that action would be taken if it was not removed.
A council spokesman said: ‘We received a complaint about this unauthorized advertising. We are disappointed that the owner did not seek our advice and instead proceeded to display an advertisement without consent.
‘As the ad does not have consent, we have informed the owner that the ad should be removed.
‘Unauthorized advertising can be damaging to the character of the area and can also pose a threat to roads. If an advertisement is not removed, we may consider taking enforcement action.’
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