A BANNER, advertising a music festival in Devizes, has been removed after a complaint to Wiltshire Council.

The Fulltone Festival is a two day event planned for August.

Advertising banners had been put up on the Green, until a complaint was made to Wiltshire Council's planning enforcement team. The Town Council acted swiftly to remove the banners in accordance with the enforcement notice.

At a meeting of Devizes Town Council this week, councillor Iain Wallis raised the issue and it was agreed the topic of advertising on the Green would be discussed more fully.

He said: "Whilst I think many of us in this room may regard the reporting of this particular banner, whilst ignoring others in the same area, as a mean spirited action against an event which will benefit both the local community and economy there is no dispute that the banner was contrary to the appropriate planning regulations and I believe highlights an issue the council needs to address."

Jemma Brown, who runs the Fulltone Festival with husband Anthony, said: "We got an email to say someone had complained and said the banners were illegal.

"It was disappointing. We've got 280 musicians lined up, people who have had barely any work in the last 18 months.

"For the event we had to cancel last March, we still have bills to pay for that. We're using local vendors who are all using the event to recover. So to hear someone has vindictively complained was quite disappointing."

Questions were raised whether banners on the Green, such as for Indie Day on June 5 at the Lions on the Green on June 13, would suffer the same fate.

Town Clerk Simon Fisher explained that, due to the two events happen relatively soon, they can remain up as they will be taken down immediately after.

Cllr Wallis asked if the Town Council would explore criteria for allowable advertising, to ensure that future decisions to allow advertising are made against "a fair and measurable criteria."

The town council's planning committee will meet on June 8 to discuss the issue.

Mr Fisher added: "Officers will start to draft what could possibly look like policy."