A NEON sign proposed for the new Nottingham Contemporary art gallery has provoked controversy within the Council House.

Councillors last night debated whether the sign, which has been designed by an artist, was "funky and trendy" or "tacky".

It is one of a number of signs designed to draw visitors to the £20m gallery, which is now nearing completion.

The neon sign will sit on a nine-metre pole close to the steps into the gallery entrance where Lower Yard and Middle Hill meet.

Speaking at last night's development control committee meeting, Coun Cat Arnold, of Basford ward, welcomed the "retro Americana" sign.

"I do like this; I'm very impressed by Nottingham Contemporary," she said.

"I find the sign right on the money.

"The bright yellow will stand out. I think it's attractive, it's funky and a bit trendy; it's going to bring people in rather than scare them off," she said.

However, others disagreed. Coun Katrina Bull said: "I'm not convinced it will lead people to what it should and that there's an entrance there. I don't think it's obvious enough and it's so different to the building; it's not clear it's on the building."

Liberal Democrat Coun Alex Foster added: "Its Americana feel doesn't seem to sit very well with the gallery; it's ever so slightly tacky, like a cheap motel sign."

Three freestanding poster panel signs are also proposed for different sides of the building to display information about what's on at the gallery.

Coun Foster said: "They look like another set of billboards and I don't think they're good enough."

A third sign, which does not need planning permission, will comprise of a concrete bench with a high back that reads "Nottingham Contemporary" in mirror image.

This will be on the southern edge of Upper Yard.

A small group of councillors from the development control committee will now look at the signs before a final decision is made.

The chairman of the committee, Coun Chris Gibson, said: "We'd like to see some detail. It's a very difficult site. We've got a modern building in a very historic environment and I think we need to be sensitive to that."