Controversial plans to project adverts near Bath Abbey should not go ahead again unless directly approved by councillors, the chair of the council’s planning committee has indicated.

Sainsbury’s were controversially granted approval by Bath and North East Somerset Council to project a five by ten meter advert onto a wall above a roof on York Street, just across Kingston Parade from Bath Abbey.

Dom Tristan, who stood unsuccessfully to become the Green MP for Bath last year, described the advert as “a step too far.”

The advertisement consent was granted by officers in the council’s planning department under delegated powers — although the approval came too late for the advert to be shown. But now any future plans for similar adverts are now likely to be brought before councillors on the planning committee.

Councillor Ian Halsall (Oldfield Park, Liberal Democrat) said: “If future proposals fall on my radar, I have advised the local ward councillors that it might be worth these being considered in public.”

Sainsbury’s had applied to project the advert on December 13, 14, and 15, the last three days of the Bath Christmas Market, from which it would have been highly visible. But planning officers only approved the plans on December 23 — after the applied for days — making the approval effectively moot.

Any future plans to project adverts in the location would require a new application for advertisement consent. Mr Tristan warned: “This sets a worrying precedent that risks damaging Bath’s UNESCO World Heritage status. The council must prioritise the city’s unique character over corporate interests.”

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “Our Christmas advert, which featured the BFG, was all about helping the nation enjoy Christmas to its fullest. This was just one of the avenues we explored and with anything we plan to do within the communities we serve, we’d always take local views and feedback on board.”