A large banner which was suspended across George St near the Octagon on Saturday was removed yesterday morning because of safety concerns.
Festival director Nicholas McBryde said yesterday he had been granted resource consent from the Dunedin City Council to install the banner across George St.
"It took a month to get the resource consent and the banner was erected by Delta at 6am on Saturday," he said.
However, yesterday morning Mr McBryde was notified by the council it had received a complaint from its Events Centre over concerns about the safety of the banner.
The banner was secured in the same position and from the same attachments from which the DCC's Christmas decorations were suspended each year.
Police closed the thoroughfare at 10.30am yesterday so the 13.2m by 2.8m banner could be removed.
"We acted immediately. I don't want the festival to be in breach of anything. But I'm a bit disappointed it's happened how it has," Mr McBryde said.
"I'm a little disappointed that the festival's vision of enhancing our city scape has encountered these obstacles. But we do wish the banner to meet compliance and are confident that the present concerns can be addressed to see our festival colours flying again very soon."
Council resource consent manager Alan Worthington said when contacted yesterday the banner was removed because two conditions of the resource consent were not completed.
It is understood the conditions relate to an engineer's report not being completed and the height of the banner being at least 5m above the road.
"As soon as the planner signs it off it will go back up there, I'd imagine. We might even see it back up tomorrow," Mr Worthington said.
Mr McBryde said yesterday he had arranged for Arrow International to inspect the banner site and complete an engineer's report this morning.
The Otago Festival of the Arts runs from October 3-12.
