Sainsbury's store which includes Argos and Habitat brands targeted by repeated acts of vandalism

Glass panels on the ground floor of the Sainsbury’s store on Talbot Road in the town centre have been smashed by yobs on a number of occasions.

Now the retailer wants to protect the building by wrapping the ground floor glazing with advertising panels made from durable material.

An application has been submitted to Blackpool Council planners seeking permission for the changes.

It is proposed to attach 22 non-illuminated vinyl panels along the ground floor frontage and near the main entrance of the store, which also contains an Argos outlet and sells Habitat products.

A letter from the supermarket’s planning agent, accompanying the application, says the proposals will “protect the store from repeated damage”.

It says: “There is a longstanding and persistent problem at the store of vandalism of the exposed ground floor windows.

“The repeated damage to the glazing comes at a high monetary and environmental cost.

“Whilst the glazing presents as an attractive frontage, its retention in its current form is not viable.

“Sainsbury’s has explored whether there are alternative forms of protection that would resolve the issue, but have concluded that covering the windows with a solid impenetrable cover is the only solution.”

The flagship store opened in 2014 as part of the £70m first phase of the Talbot Gateway, which also includes the Bickerstaffe House council offices and the refurbished Talbot Road car park.

The proposed panels will be of a minimal thickness and made from durable material designed not to fade or peel off the existing glass panes.

In its submission, Sainsbury’s adds: “Fixing the glass panes is prohibitively expensive due to the unusual design of the building.

“To replace the ground floor panes of glass, each of the above six panes needs to be removed first.

“This involves scaffolding, cranes, weatherproofing applied to the inside and a lot of labour cost, in addition to the cost of the glass panes themselves that have to be manufactured in Germany and imported.”

The application says the advertising panels will relate to the Sainsbury’s brand and retail range including Argos, Habitat and Tu Clothing in order to create a “vibrant” appearance rather than a blank frontage.