Barrow Town Hall is set to be bathed in light after plans to project pictures onto the side of the building were approved.

An application from Barrow Borough Council to install six lights to project images onto the hall was approved by the council's planning committee yesterday. Maureen Smith, the council's principal planning officer, explained the application to councillors.

She said: “The council wishes to install six lights from the Forum building opposite to project images onto the town hall.

"This must fall to the planning committee to approve, as it is a town hall application. “Lights will be placed above ground level on the side of the Forum building and will project images onto the town hall that will vary in style depending on the season, or feast day such as a poppy or some snowflakes. “The lights will only be used in the darker months of the year, no later than 9pm, and set through a programmable timer.” Councillor Derek Gawne, who represented Roosecote ward, thought an opportunity to use the lights for information displays should not be lost.

He said: “Can these lights be used to project words, such as important messages to get out to the public, including public safety messages?” Ms Smith confirmed that, for now, the lights would display images only but that more uses could be considered once they are in operation. Bill McEwan was one of the councillors pushing for the new lighting system for the town hall walls.

He said: “This is a great idea.

"I think it will enhance the town hall and reflect this time of year with snowflakes.” Earlier there had been concerns from the nearby Holiday Inn Express that lights could reflect off one of their corner walls, affecting guests.

The hotel's duty manager said: “We are opposite the main entrance, but our head office have no concerns now, or they would have informed me."

The vote to install the projectors passed eleven votes to nil, with the condition that the lighting units should be erected in a way not visible to people driving nearby.