South Kesteven District Council’s cabinet likely to approve new guidance against bright colours for shops in Stamford, Grantham, Bourne and the Deepings
New guidance advising against the use of bright or garish colours on shopfronts in conservation areas, along with certain types of projecting signs, is expected to be approved by a district council.
During a meeting of South Kesteven District Council's cabinet on Tuesday (November 5), council bosses are poised to endorse the updated South Kesteven Shopfront Design Guide 2024.
The lengthy document outlines several factors for shop owners to consider when designing their fronts and highlights the importance of maintaining the district's historic and built environment.
The council currently has Shopfront Design Guidance documents for Bourne, Grantham, and Stamford, but it was deemed necessary to update the guidance due to changes in legislation and technology, as well as to expand the scope of the guidance to cover all of the district's market towns.
The document reads: "Key to successful shopfront design is recognising from the outset that a shopfront is part of a much larger building, and therefore
needs to be considered as part of its overall architectural composition.
"A new shopfront should take account of the placement, style and scale of upper-floor windows, as well as any design or structural elements which are common throughout the building."
The updated South Kesteven Shopfront Design Guide 2024 provides detailed recommendations across several sections.
Some of the key highlights include:
Colour
* A single colour should be used for all major elements of the shopfront
* Avoid using alternate colours on major features such as pilasters, stall risers, fascias, or cornices
* The use of a particular colour on a shopfront elsewhere in the town does not guarantee it will be acceptable across all areas
* New shopfronts within conservation areas should avoid bright or garish colours
* Businesses should seek advice from SKDC's conservation and planning team before committing to a new or altered colour scheme.
Signage, advertising, and lighting
* On traditional frontages, lettering should be sign-written onto the fascia in a single style, ensuring readability and suitability in size
* Signs should be limited to one or two colours. Metallic colours are acceptable, but avoid high-gloss or reflective finishes
* Lit hanging signs should make the light source as inconspicuous as possible
* Rigidly fixed boards or internally illuminated boxes, while common in shopping centres, rarely add to the character of historic market towns and are unsuitable for traditional shopfronts
* Projecting signs, often produced to a standard size and format, should respect the scale of the building and the overall appearance of the area.
Canopies and blinds
* When designing a new shopfront, it is essential to consider the need to protect goods from sunlight damage. If a blind or awning is necessary, it should be integrated into the shopfront design from the outset.
* Canopies and blinds should be fully retractable and only pulled down when required
* The fabric should ideally be plain, light, neutral in colour, and non-reflective
* Avoid shiny plastics and bold or contrasting colours
* Formal approval is required for most canopies or blinds.
At the end of 2023, Stork of Stamford on St Mary's Street faced objections from Stamford Civic Society and the town council for using a gold-yellow shade from the Dulux Heritage range in the town’s conservation area.
Similarly, in February, South Kesteven District Council ordered Peters’ Cleaners in St Paul's Street in Stamford to repaint its front. The company’s choice of orange and blue paint with a vinyl window dressing was felt to harm the heritage value of the listed building.
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