An appeal has been lodged after plans to install a huge digital billboard at Racing Club Warwick's ground were refused.

Warwick District Council planners blocked Alight Media's scheme which would have seen an LED screen measuring 6.4 metres by 3.4 metres built.

The local authority sided with the objections of locals and Warwick Town Council to halt the Hampton Road development.

But now Alight has submitted an appeal to the planning inspectorate in a bid to overturn the decision.

"The appeal proposal is simple in concept and similar to schemes that have been approved across the UK at both application and appeal stages," the appeal said.

"The proposed advertising display will be appropriately controlled by special conditions to ensure that the potential for distraction is minimised.

"Under these circumstances such a familiar urban feature would not constitute a potentially hazardous distraction to anyone exercising a reasonable standard of care, or give rise to any safety issues.

"It would also sit comfortably in the appeal site’s visual context without harming amenity, the qualities of the site, or the character and appearance of the surrounding area and nearby."

When refusing the application, the council said the display would have been an "incongruous addition" and would cause "harm to the visual amenities of the streetscene".

The council's report continued: "The proposed digital advertisement is considered to result in the introduction of an alien form of advertisement that will appear as an incongruous addition within the immediate streetscene. 

"Consequently, the scheme is considered to result in harm to the visual amenity and character of the area, as well as the character and appearance of the conservation area."

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