04 Mar 2026
A mobile phone repair and vape shop in the heart of St Albans’ Conservation Area has been ordered to remove its jarring new signage.
The bright red signs were installed at I Repair, 28 Market Place, last week, replacing the previous black frontage.
The move provoked an outpouring of complaints on social media, and following enquires by the St Albans Times and St Albans Civic Society, SADC’s planning enforcement team investigated to determine whether the signs were in breach of planning guidelines.
They have since contacted the management company of the property and instructed that the signage should be reverted back to its previous appearance.
Historically, the Grade II listed building was the location of Pike & Sons, a well-known establishment of butchers, grocers, and provision merchants. A carved sign for ‘Pike & Sons’ can still be seen above the location. This section of Market Place, particularly around numbers 28–32, was known as The Shambles.
