Plan to put electronic billboard on Humffray Street school building

A new planning application lodged with the City of Ballarat would see a 34.2 square-metre electronic sign put up on the Mair Street side of the old school building on 9-11 Humffray Street.

The building was the former site of the Humffray Street State School, which former prime minister Robert Menzies first attended when he moved to Ballarat in 1906.

The application follows an earlier application for a sign at the location in 2020, which proposed a 12.9 square-metre sign with a height of 10.8 metres off of the ground.

The new application states the proposed electronic sign will be 7.5 metres from the ground.

Ballarat Heritage Watch member Stuart Kelly, who has lodged an objection to the proposal, said despite the decrease in height, the new sign will still be taller than the original application.

He also said an electronic sign would not suit the style and character of the historic building.

"Even though the application this time around says the new one will be lower, once you look at the plans it is actually almost two metres taller," he said.

"It is just totally inappropriate on such a historic building."

The application states that the sign however will not protrude above the existing building.

The building was the site of an antiques store after its school was closed down.

Despite the age of the building, it does not have a heritage overlay applied to it, something Mr Kelly said he did not understand.

"I just assumed it would have a heritage overlay, therefore didn't look at it until recently," he said.

"It is just such a prominent and dramatic building looking down from the Lydiard Street, Mair Street area. It just fills the skyline and it is lovely to see."

The sign will use LEDs to create a digital message or picture, which will change multiple times throughout the day.

The sign will operate 24 hours a day and will be regulated during the night time.

According to the application, the sign will run about eight to 10 per cent brighter at night time, depending on available street light.

In response to advertisement decision guidelines, the application states the sign will be unobtrusive to the city's skyline, and in-line with similar commercial advertising found on that end of Mair Street.

"This section of Mair Street is characterised by existing commercial buildings and signage located on fascias, walls, above and under verandahs," the application states.

"There are also a number of major promotional signs that are located on side elevations of some of [sic] double storey commercial buildings. The proposed sign it intends to introduce 21^st century technology into a regional city. There are a number of similar signs scattered around inner and outer Melbourne."