CONSERVATIONISTS have lost their fight to stop a store in an historic city market place having a video screen in its window.

A planning inspector has overturned a planning enforcement notice that Durham City Council issued against national record store chain Virgin.

The company refurbished the Market Place shop, a listed building in a conversation area, as part of a national rebranding in which Our Price stores changed to V Shops, selling mobile phones and computer games as well as records and videos.

The council gave planning permission for alterations to the building but later ordered the screen's removal, after the shop opened, saying that it had not been authorised.

There was concern, shared by the City of Durham Trust, about the screen's effect on the area.

But planning inspector Jim Griffiths has upheld the firm's appeal against the decision, saying that he felt the impact on the building's historic and architectural character was "small".

Virgin said the screen was displayed in a "unique framework" to ensure it fitted in with its surroundings.

John Crawford, head of V Shop business development, said: "We have been in consultation with the Durham City Council planning department throughout the transformation process and went to every effort to ensure the design fitted in with the council regulations.

"We were all very surprised, to say the least, when we received the notice, as all our plans had previously been approved well before work on transforming the store began.

"We were therefore very determined to keep the screen, which is an integral high quality feature of the store design.

"We felt very strongly that the moving image projected by the screen is key to explaining and delivering an understanding of all that the new V Shop brand offers customers."

Dr Douglas Pocock, secretary of the trust, backed the council at the appeal hearing. He said allowing the appeal would set a precedent for further video screens and illumination that could lead to the city's streets becoming like "any town"