Hertford fishmongers gets permission to keep yarn bomb sea display

The owner of a fishmongers said he was "relieved" he could keep a large knitted display featuring sea creatures on the front of his building.

East Herts District Council told Glenn Graney, owner of The Blue Oyster Bar, Hertford, to remove the display in November.

The authority has approved his retrospective planning application.

Temporary permission was granted for the display to remain on the Grade II listed building for up to 12 months.

Mr Graney said: "I'm relieved. It's one of those things that was taking over and I wasn't sure what the council would do.

"With the restaurant open, it's going to look great in the summer."

Mr Graney paid £500 for the display from a local yarn bombers group after he saw it elsewhere in the town.

He said the knitted collage, created by the Secret Society of Hertford Crafters, made "an immense difference" to his business.

Residents had raised safety concerns, he was later told by a planning officer, but the council concluded: "The installation adds significant interest to the town centre and is an unusual feature that draws attention."

The business in Railway Street is situated within the Hertford Conservation Area.

It was also concluded that the display did not hang low enough to pose a risk to pedestrians and vehicles did not use the roads often enough for it to be a safety concern.

The planning officers said the feature would "deteriorate over time" because it was made of yarn, and so concluded the 12-month approval was appropriate.

Mr Graney said: "At the moment it looks pretty good, we'll see what the sun does do it, it's got no mould on it and seems to be standing up nicely."

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp 0800 169 1830