The owner of vintage shop Flamingos Vintage has criticised Reading Borough Council after signage was rejected - a move he says could put the whole store at risk of closure.
The shop opened in Reading town centre in August 2023, selling American sports-branded clothing, denim and outfits for men, women and children. It also runs a kilo sale where customers buy clothes by weight.
The sign was installed when the shop opened but was rejected by the council's planning department in February 2024. Planning officer Nathalie Weekes said the original sign was "a prominent and visually dominant addition which failed to respect the existing streetscene." The planning team asked for the signage to be replaced.
Owner Robert Phillips says the decision has already cost jobs. He has had to lay off one member of staff after spending thousands replacing the sign.
He said: "They've said we can only have a 1.5-2 metre sign, but every other store on Queen Victoria Street has a 20 metre sign."
He added: "We're at a loss with what to do with Reading council's planning team."
On the costs he said: "We paid over £4,000 for the sign, £1,500 for the architect, £600 for the application, and £350 for removal."
Phillips also said: "There are stores in Cardiff, Swansea, Bristol and Exeter, but I'm not sure what we'll do with Reading. "We want to go to cities which want to welcome us."
On the situation he said: "I think this is absurd. It's been there for three years, all of a sudden they've forced us to take it down."
A council spokesperson said: "Queen Victoria Street features several buildings which are Grade II listed for their historic and architectural significance. "We would always advise that before making any changes to shop fronts, applicants should check with the planning department to ensure any changes comply with the law so that additional costs are not incurred, which is always a possibility where checks are not made. "In this instance, the correct permissions were not sought for the original signage, which did not meet with specific requirements for shop signs on listed buildings. Retrospective planning permission was subsequently refused as the signage did not meet the size and design needs of the planning regulations. The case is now closed as they have complied with the request to remove. "It is important to say there are several cases currently open which relate to signage, not only in the town centre but also on the Oxford Road, London Street and London Road, and officers are actively working with individual businesses."
You can view the rejected application on the council planning portal using reference PL/23/0942.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
