CAMPAIGNERS have been left fuming after councillors approved Tesco's plans to install a "garish" illuminated sign at its new Wanstead branch.

Representatives from the Wanstead Society argued that the council should force the supermarket chain to paint the outside of the shop black with a subtle painted-on sign to help preserve the area's "village character."

The High Street is under conservation status. However councillors at the authority's Conservation Advisory Panel on Wednesday and the Regional Planning Committee last night both agreed Tesco's application for the brightly lit logo was in keeping with other shops in the area.

Members of the Regional Planning Committee said it would be unreasonable to refuse Tesco's application because the former Woolworths branch on the same site had an illuminated sign for decades.

But Gabrielle Collard, of the Wanstead Society, said: "The signage was approved, despite that fact that it's illuminated, uses brash materials and the lettering is out of scale.

"An opportunity to improve Wanstead High Street was right there in front of the committee, but they lacked the initiative to take it."

Fellow society member Scott Shillum added: "The councillors argue there are other signs of a similar nature nearby but then that's just giving in to a general erosion of the conservation area.

"It has shown these councillors to be completely toothless."

But council officers, in a conservation report, said Tesco's application was for "a modern shopfront on a modern building" and was little different to other premises nearby.

Planning member Cllr Richard Hoskins said: "We can only vote according to what the law provides.

"Tesco's application mirrored the existing Woolworths shopfront, so there was no reason in planning law why we should turn it down."

Wanstead Cllr Sue Nolan, who was not at the meeting due to other council business, said there was nothing the committee could have done to prevent the application.

She said: "I do object to the globalisation of the High Street and I'm not happy about it but it's very difficult to turn things like this down because the guidelines which the national Government sets are very strict."

"If it had been refused it would have gone straight to appeal. We almost certainly wouldn't win it and it would have cost the taxpayer thousands."

The news comes just a week after the council approved Tesco a licence to sell alcohol in its Wanstead branch between 8am and 11pm seven days a week, despite fierce opposition from traders and residents.

An opening date for the shop has still not been set.