A LANDLORD criticised for his alterations to a village pub has been given three months to remove illegal advertising signs.Suffolk Coastal District Council also wants the hanging basket brackets to be taken down at the Coach and Horses in Melton, near Woodbridge.

A LANDLORD criticised for his alterations to a village pub has been given three months to remove illegal advertising signs.

Suffolk Coastal District Council also wants the hanging basket brackets to be taken down at the Coach and Horses in Melton, near Woodbridge.

Chris Martin has been given until September 30 to remove the brackets, which line the frontage of the large car park, and some of the signs from the 17th Century grade II-listed building.

Mr Martin had sought permission from the council to retain the alterations including a pergola between the entrance and car park, walls and fences, floodlights on the building and signs. Permission was granted in principle for most of the alterations.

Suffolk Preservation Society had criticised the improvements and felt the unauthorised works were "grossly excessive", while Melton Parish Council wanted the number of signs reduced.

It added: "The council objects to the number of signs currently placed upon this listed building and objects to any information panels alongside the car park facing Melton Road.

"Many of the signs are ugly, have little consistency with one another and have an unacceptable impact upon the local environment.

"It is considered that the number of signs are unnecessarily intrusive upon this pleasant area of Melton and is contrary to the guidelines in place for advertisement signs in the district, particularly on a listed building in a relatively-rural environment in that part of Melton Road.

"The hanging basket brackets appear ugly and excessive in size and should be of a design more sensitive to the environment. When baskets are not in place (which is for much of the year), the battery of brackets appear unsightly as viewed from Melton Road."