Leyland’s new store in Haverstock Hill, formerly a bank and a fireplace showroom

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DOZENS of residents in Belsize Park are calling on Camden to force a DIY chain to remove its brightly-coloured signage on its new store. Leyland sent out celebratory notices last week after opening up its latest branch in Haverstock Hill, Belsize Park.

But it did so as council planners read through a string of messages from people living nearby. The complaints have echoes of the planning row which unfolded up the road in Hampstead Village in the 1980s when fast food chain McDonald’s eventually agreed to ditch its red and yellow colour scheme for darker shades.

Officially, the council has not approved nor rejected Leyland’s plans for the corner site at the junction with Antrim Grove – previously home to a fireplace manufacturer – even though it is already up and running.

Liberal Democrat ward councillor Tom Simon said this meant it was clear that the branding was out of character with the area.

He said it needed to be “toned down” – his comments in a letter to the planning department proving to be one of the more restrained letters against the new look.

“This is the worst and tackiest signage in the whole of Belsize town. It cheapens the area and will reduce house prices,” said another objection filed at the Town Hall said, while a further complaint said: “I’m sorry, but this is a complete eyesore that is damaging the community feel of the area. Already, over the past two years, we’ve seen a significant erosion in the culture that was once endemic to Belsize Park and having such an overly commercial and garish store, branding on the corner of one of the main streets will only do further damage.”

Other comments said the “extremely offensive” signs did not fit with Belsize Village’s “elegance”, while there were wider concerns that Leyland’s arrival would be disastrous for the popular independent store Belsize Hardware further up the hill. Leyland, whose portfolio of stores include the long-standing shop in Camden Road, Camden Town, is amplifying its branding with illuminated lights.

The site has been a point of controversy before.

When HSBC closed down its Belsize Park branch operating at the address, supermarket giants Tesco unveiled a plan to move in. This move was eventually seen off by a community campaign, but not until after a debate which revealed differences of opinion about the convenience of supermarket shopping and the affordability of food.

Leyland has 34 stores across the capital and is a go-to place for buying paint for home improvements. It has not come up against resistance to its stark blue branding in other areas, but had already withdrawn an initial planning application for an even brighter shopfront.

Chief executive Martin Hastings said: “We are delighted to open our new Belsize Park store, which is in a fantastic location and looks brilliant. The new store, occupying a prime corner spot, will benefit from all the products Leyland is renowned for.”

He added: “We have now opened 10 new stores in the last four years, creating almost 100 jobs and boosting the local economy. It is all part of a strategic plan for growth alongside continued investment in our existing stores. We look forward to bringing this unique offering to Belsize Park.”

While some customers have already seen inside the new store, an official opening has been set for next Wednesday.