The signs don't look too good for Tesco's new city finance HQ

Published on Tuesday 30 June 2009 09:43

SUPERMARKET giant Tesco had to open its new personal finance headquarters without a sign after being sent back to the drawing board by city planners.

Property experts say part of the appeal that attracted Tesco Personal Finance to the Haymarket Yards office was that it could win the attention of rail passengers with a bold sign at the back of the office overlooking Haymarket Station.

Its original plans for the illuminated sign were thrown out because planners feared it would stand out too much.

After making some minor adjustments, however, such as reducing the height by 37cm and cutting 4.3cm off the width, it won approval.

The office was officially opened earlier this month by First Minister Alex Salmond but it is not known when the sign will be erected.

One property insider said: "It was an attraction to them that they would be getting free advertising because it is a new brand and it is an advantage to be able to get it out there, especially since you get so many passengers going through Haymarket Station."

After the original application, which was for a bright internally illuminated sign, city council head of planning John Bury said that there is a "general presumption" against high-level signage, although he admitted that some nearby buildings did have signs overlooking the station so "a precedent has been established".

However, he said: "The proposal is considerably larger, both in height and area covered, and will incorporate brighter colours and a different method of illumination that will make it stand out considerably, which is further compounded by its high-level position."

The second application was filed soon after the original one was rejected. As well as reducing the sign's height and width, Tesco amended the plans to have an external "halo-lit" sign, rather than "internally illuminated" sign as originally intended.

The second application won the backing of planners. Mr Bury said: "The proposal has been significantly reduced in size from the previous application and the method of illumination has been changed to a form that currently exists in the area and which is not as intrusive as that originally proposed."

Despite eventually winning the backing of the council, Tesco Personal Finance, which is to base up to 450 staff in the office, does not yet know when the sign will go up. A spokeswoman for the firm said: "Regarding our HQ, we will have a sign up but don't have a date for this yet.

"We have taken the council's advice on the size and illumination of the sign and will follow their guidance."

Stewart Taylor, a director at property firm CB Richard Ellis, said: "Edinburgh is quite sensitive about signage, but for companies the brand is increasingly important. If it can manage to get its brand in prominent places, it is a big advantage.

"However, if we are too lax about signage, we'll end up like Tokyo or Hong Kong."