RETROSPECTIVE plans to installer roller shutters on a newly built unit in Shipley have been refused.

11 Market Street is a recently completed building next to the town's Costa, made up of a ground floor retail unit and upper floor flats.

Roller shutters were added tot he retail unit without planning permission, and last year Pratheepan submitted a planning application to Bradford Council that would allow them to retain the shutters.

That application has been refused, with officers saying they went against the Council's policy on roller shutters. Officers said: "Whilst it is acknowledged that there are examples of existing external shutters in Shipley town centre, this proposal would reinforce the negative impact that the external shutters have particularly in the evenings when they would be closed.

Plans to install security shutters in the Idle branch of the Co-Op have been refused

"The applicant has not submitted any evidence that these premises are especially vulnerable to crime or why this strident external shutter is required."

The Council's Shopkeepers Guide To Securing Premises "seeks to discourage the use of external roller shutters because of their negative visual impact and it suggests a variety of alternative security measures without the same level of visual harm."

It adds: "There will be a strong presumption against the provision of solid external roller shutters, bare metal roller shutters and external shutter boxes to the principal elevation of all shop fronts within the Bradford District."