Crucial ruling on giant new Sunderland advertising screen that could 'distract drivers and cause crashes'
Plans for a new digital advertising screen on the outskirts of Sunderland have been dismissed at appeal by a Government-appointed planning inspector.
The national Planning Inspectorate has confirmed plans have been refused for a proposed advertisement screen in the Easington Lane area.
Applicant Wildstone Estates Limited’s plan, submitted back in 2025, was linked to the side of a building at 171 High Street, near the roundabout connecting High Street and Elemore Lane, as part of a nationwide drive to “upgrade traditional advertising hoardings to a modern digital format”.
Plans described the digital sign as a “wall-mounted D-Poster display” measuring “6m(w) x 3m(h)” which would be positioned 2.7m above ground “displaying multiple static advertisements on rotation.”
When making a case for the development in a previous “grounds of appeal” document, the appellant noted the site was in an “established location for advertising” and that “given the absence of habitable windows fronting the site and the street lighting in the vicinity […] the neighbouring residential units would not be impacted by the illuminance of the signage”.
The appellant also said the council refusing the plans on visual amenity grounds was “not justified” and stressed the digital screen would be controlled by sensors to “adjust the illumination levels” to ensure “no change in impact” compared to a standard “paper and paste display”.
On public safety matters, it was noted that the site was in an “uncomplicated location which drivers should be able to navigate with ease” and data was cited which, appellants said, indicated the site was a “very safe stretch of road”.
It was argued that the “cognitive demand on road users at this point is low as there are no unusual highway complexities which would require extra care to be taken” and that “given the long-range visibility, drivers will be able to easily assimilate the information on the display”.
It was also noted that the sign would “not display any moving images” and “that the change in [static] images will be almost imperceptible.”
An appeal decision report published on January 9, 2026, confirmed that the appeal has been dismissed and that planning permission should be refused.
On public safety matters, the planning inspector referenced comments from Sunderland City Council’s Future Transport team, which previously raised concerns about the advertisement being “likely to cause a distraction to motorists with increased risk of collision, as well as potential for conflict between vehicles and vulnerable highway users”.
The planning inspector said there was “no compelling evidence before me to indicate that there would be increased risks with adverse effects in relation to highway and pedestrian safety in this location” and concluded the proposal would “not unacceptably harm public safety.”
However, the appeal was ultimately dismissed over the planning inspector’s ruling on the “amenity of the area”, which concluded the proposed development would have a “harmful effect on visual amenity.”
The planning inspector, in the appeal decision report, said the digital advert would “occupy a considerable portion of the upper part of the gable end of the host building” and “given the highly prominent position of the site” and the sign’s “proposed scale, elevated position and illumination […] would be anotable and dominating feature in the street scene in views towards the site from High Street and Elemore Lane”.
It was noted that the building’s gable end “appears as a focal point at the northern end of the long, linear Elemore Lane” and that the “advertisement would therefore be seen more in the context of a residential rather than a predominantly commercial setting in views from High Street, Elemore Lane and The Lawns close to the site”.
The planning inspector also noted the “commercial uses in the surrounding area display a range of predominantly smaller advertisements, and there are no digital advertisements or those of a similar scale to that proposed apparent in the immediate area”.
In this context, it was noted that the proposed digital sign’s “considerable scale, illumination, and prominent position” would lead to a “visually intrusive advertisement in this location” and would be “out of context with other signage and the established character and appearance of the area”.
The appeal decision report added that “a materially different advertisement displayed some time ago” was of “limited weight” in the planning inspector’s decision, and that there was “no compelling evidence” that the appeal proposal would be the only way to “facilitate the maintenance of the existingbuilding elevation”.
Although it was noted conditions could control the “levels of illumination and operation of the advertisement”, the planning inspector said the plans would “result in a discordant feature and harm to the amenity of the area, and itssiting, scale and illumination would accentuate this impact.”
For more information on the planning application and appeal ruling, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 25/00763/ADV