The owners of a juice bar in a quirky shopping district have been ordered to remove a sign above their cafe because planners say it clutters the street.

The sign includes a wooden cut-out of a curvaceous redhead reclining in her bathing suit.

It has marked out Sejuice bar in Gardner Street, Brighton, since it opened last July.

But owners Sarah and Steven Mulheron, who gave up their careers in the pharmaceutical industry to launch the business, have been told the sign is too large and ruins the character and appearance of the North Laine.

A letter sent to the couple by Brighton and Hove City Council's planning department states: "The sign spreads beyond the edges of the fascia and obscures part of the first-floor window and shopfront features.

"The sign is therefore considered overlarge and poorly related to the building and adds visual clutter to the street scene."

Other shopfronts and cafes in the district, renowned for its Bohemian character, feature giant pairs of glitzy glasses, crazy zebra stripes and guitars.

Sarah said: "I was surprised when we were refused planning permission because the whole area is so vibrant and full of life. The shops and their signs seem to follow suit - they are all really fabulous and individual."

She is now awaiting the outcome of an appeal against the council's decision. Included with her comments to the planning inspector was a selection of photos showing other signs in the area.

Sarah added: "There are so many brilliant signs and many of them are bigger than ours.

"If we really do have to take it down we will have no choice but I would hate to see it go. It would be such a shame if all the shops in the street looked identical.

"It costs a lot to set up the business and keep it running and the rates are really high. The expense of having to change the sign is something extra we really don't need."

A city council spokeswoman said: "Anyone has the right to appeal against a planning decision. The council will await the outcome of the appeal."

The plight of Sarah and Steven Mulheron is one that Ali Mughal, owner of Acacia boutique in nearby Gloucester Road, Brighton, knows only too well.

She almost went bust after the city council ordered her to rip out a large porthole at the front of her shop and replace it with a traditional square window.

Ms Hadley, 39, said: "The council has this mentality which just doesn't have space for small businesses. Down here you have to have a strong identity in order to survive."

Friday, May 5, 2006