Planners have forbidden promotional displays adorning the front of the listed building, but with the imminent arrival of a cinema, the Corn Exchange feels it needs more exposure.

The 400 seat theatre puts on a varied programme of drama, film, music, dance and comedy, but as a charity has a small promotional budget. It sells £72,000 tickets a year, but has many more visitors for free events and using the café.

The new season is just two weeks away, and the Corn Exchange will need to find extra money, as the council is committed to slashing the annual £400,000 subsidy.

However, town planners are likely to have misgivings over setting a precedent of festooning character buildings, and the council is wary of litigation after the banner in Northbrook Street was ripped off by a passing lorry two years ago, when it hooked itself around a bench, which was ripped out of the ground.

Arts aficionado Chris Austin is raising the banner issue at a council meeting next Thursday, where he will argue that banners would now fit in with the new plans for the Market Place.

As revealed on this site, the council is also planning to pedestrianise the Market Place next year, removing the car park and taxi rank, and installing trees and a fountain.