Council officers have served an enforcement notice on an Indian restaurant where alterations are being carried out in contravention of planning laws.

The Royal Saffron, on Bondgate in Otley, has been ordered to seek planning permission for the refurbishment and to stop illuminating a ‘huge’ sign advertising the restaurant.

Otley councillor Colin Campbell, who raised the issue with officers, said the illuminated sign and the internal alterations were causing a lot of concern in the town.

“It has actually provoked more correspondence to me than any other planning issue in the last year,” he said. “People are very, very upset about it.”

He said the premises which had previously been an Indian restaurant were re-opening as a different Indian restaurant but that work was being carried out without planning permission.

“As soon as I saw it I asked planning officers to go and look because I knew there hadn’t been a planning application,” he said.

Coun Campbell said notice had now been served on the owner to stop illuminating the sign, which covers the entire length of the building, and to apply for planning permission for alterations.

He said: “My view is that planning legislation is there to protect listed buildings such as this and that developers should not be allowed to undertake works that don’t have proper planning permission.”

He added: “Whilst I appreciate that the restaurant owner would like a sign for his restaurant, the sign that has been erected is totally out of character with the conservation area and with the listed building to which it is fixed.”