Muir of Ord chip shop owner appeals to Scottish Government after Highland Council rejects application for Batman-style call light
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Highland Council planners refused to give Jaki Pickett advertising consent to use the powerful spotlight, which she bought as part of a superhero-themed publicity drive.
She is now appealing that decision with the Scottish Government.
Drawing inspiration from Gotham City police department’s famous distress signal, the businesswoman wants to send beams of light 15 miles into the sky, on a one-metre rotation, for a few hours every evening during the winter.
Colour-coded beams would alert customers to special offers and discounts at the chippie.
Ms Pickett has also created the cartoon character Batterman to promote the Jaki Fish and Chip Shop on the village’s Seaforth Road.
She received permission from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for a trial use of the lights a few months ago, with no objection raised.
However, using delegated powers, planning officials ruled that the advertising consent application did not comply with Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act legislation.
The refusal notice said the proposal would have had “an unacceptable impact” by introducing “intrusive” artificial light pollution into non-commercial and rural areas.
The plan also drew nine objections from members of the public.
Ms Pickett, though, accused Highland Council of “hypocrisy” given that the local authority has used similar lights to illuminate Inverness landmarks.
Her appeal should be dealt with within 12 weeks.
She said: “I think I’ve put in a good appeal and covered everything.
“I find it very hypocritical.
I don’t like naming businesses, but there were other businesses using lights like this for individual promotions over the Christmas period.
“Highland Council, themselves, lit up the Kessock Bridge, the town house and the castle.
“I’m only six miles from Inverness as the crow flies, so if my light would impinge on rural areas, so do the lights they’re using.
“I really don’t understand why they’re objecting. It is double standards.
“I understand that mine is classed as permanent because I want to use it through the winter months, but it is only for four hours a day.
“It isn’t a problem to residents, and it isn’t a danger on the roads as it is not shining in people’s faces.
“The hypocrisy is the council used 15 lights on the Kessock Bridge that were made by the same company that sold me the light.
“Other businesses locally use them for one-off promotions, so they’re effectively doing exactly the same as me.
“I just feel as if I’m getting slapped in the face because I’ve gone about it the correct way and complied by the rules.
“If the council wants us stuck in the 1960s, using candlelight, that’s up to them, but I think we should be moving into the 21st century.
“I’ve planned this campaign since May last year. It is not just an overnight decision or whim to go and spend all this money promoting the business.”
If successful in her appeal, Ms Pickett would have to renew notification to the CAA every 30 days, until the highly visible lights were adopted in the “airman’s book” for pilots.
One objector, Adrian Young, told the council he saw the light in use in December last year while driving on the A835 between Conon Bridge and Tore.
He said: “Cloud cover meant that there were significant moving lights across the sky, causing quite a distraction to motorists.
“A colleague of mine has also expressed concern that recently, when travelling from Achnasheen to Culbokie, the lights were visible throughout most of the journey.”
Another objector, Amanda Fraser, said: “We live in a rural area where there is very little light pollution. We should be proud of that and not allow a light like this to ruin our asset of having fairly good, dark skies in the rural Highlands.”
