Network Rail has won an appeal against Oldham Council to display an illuminated digital billboard after the authority refused the application.

In February last year, the company applied to remove two existing static billboards, next to Mills Hill train station on Middleton Road, and replace them with a new digital display.

However, the council rejected the application in July on the grounds that the billboard would "significantly distract" drivers and would "reduce the clarity" of traffic signals which are on the approach to the billboard, making it a threat to safety.

Network Rail appealed the decision and after a site visit by the government's Planning Inspectorate, the decision was overturned.

Inspector Ian Radcliffe said the proposed billboard would in fact be smaller than the sign it was replacing, meaning size was not an issue.

Mr Radcliffe acknowledged the fact it would be a digital display and that could make it more distracting.

He recommended the billboard be given the go-ahead, but only under certain conditions over brightness and transitions.

The inspector said the intensity of the illumination of the sign should be no greater than 600 candela per square meter (cd/m2) during daylight hours and 300cd/m2 during dark hours.

He added that each advertisement was to be displayed for a minimum of 10 seconds and no visual or scrolling affects could be used, such as noise, flashing and animation.

Mr Radcliffe concluded that "subject to appropriate conditions, the proposed sign would not distract the attention of westbound highway users travelling along Middleton Road to the extent that public safety would be harmed".

The appeal decision was published on Monday, April 24.