A HOUSING developer has removed a series of illegal signs which had angered people in a Northumberland town.

Persimmon Homes is yet to take down flags, however, which it put up at its development on the site of former council offices in Morpeth without planning permission.

The removal of the signs has been welcomed by neighbouring residents, who had been angered by them being put up without consent, and their appearance.

Northumberland County Council is to take action against the developer over the flags.

The company erected five signs advertising its housing scheme on the former offices of Castle Morpeth Borough Council at The Kylins. However, it then emerged the company had not sought planning permission.

Council officers held discussions with the company and say it agreed to remove all but one of the signs.

Persimmon bosses said they would submit a retrospective application to retain that large sign.

The company submitted the application and that was approved by the authority’s North area planning committee, in line with an officer’s recommendation, despite opposition from Morpeth Town Council, The Kylins Residents’ Association and one resident.

However, the company had still to remove the remaining four signs by last Friday. Persimmon was at the time criticised by people living at The Kylins, who were angry that the company had acted without planning permission and claimed the entrance to their estate resembled an amusement park.

It was given until Monday to take them down or the council said it would serve notices ordering their removal.

Last night, it emerged the developer had removed the four signs before any notice had been served but two unauthorised flags are still to be removed.

County and town councillor Andrew Tebbutt for Morpeth, who lives at The Kylins and who spoke against the retrospective application at the planning meeting, said of the signs: “They came down first thing on Monday morning which was excellent news. Sometimes making a fuss works. It is a little victory, I am very pleased.

“We really would like the developer to work with us and not against us. He singularly seems unwilling to do that.”

A council spokeswoman said: “The unauthorised signs have been removed. There are four flags where there should be only two – so we are still pursuing this with the developer.”

A spokesman for Persimmon confirmed the company had removed the signs but failed to comment.