A property developer has been warned it could face prosecution if it fails to take down a sign mocking a council policy - after planning chiefs said it was put up without permission.

Inland Homes has been forced to apply for retrospective planning permission to erect a large sign outside the disused Pheasant pub in Amersham, which they had previously tried to convert into housing.

The sign accused members of Chiltern District Council of being "out of touch" with the area's housing needs and pointed out the authority had been criticised in a government report for not having enough land available for development.

Inland Homes put the sign up in response to twice having planning applications to convert land around the Plantation Road pub, which was closed in December 2012, into housing turned down by the council.

But the firm, which is based in Amersham, has had to put in a retrospective planning application to keep the sign up after council officers said it was put up without permission.

And they have recommended the proposal should be turned down at tonight's meeting of the authority's planning committee.

A report from officers adds Inland will be advised to remove the sign if the committee votes not to grant approval - warning they may face being prosecuted if they do not do so.

The report says: "The sign subject to application is large, high, strident and prominent within the setting of the listed building as seen from the street. In my opinion it detracts visually from the setting because it is alien to the significance of the building as a traditional structure of small-scale and unassuming historic character.

"The harm the sign causes is not justified by any benefit to the viability of the listed building and its negative weight...is outstanding. Instead the sign is in itself harmful to the cause of securing the preservation of the building in that its negative message looks back to accentuate the refusal, rather than forward to any more appropriate solution.

"The desire to make the sign visible, and give substance to its message, has also resulted in the removal of hoardings that previously afforded some security to the site and the listed building, leaving the building less protected and more exposed, with the sign giving emphasis to its poor condition. This invites unwelcome attention and is unhelpful to the plight of the listed building, and in my opinion is deeply regrettable."

It adds: "The condition of the listed building is of concern to the council and it is recognised that an appropriate solution is needed for the site in order to secure the preservation of the listed building."

The billboard, which was put up in January, had the words “This could have been your view!” written directly above architects’ plans of the new homes.

It also said: “Inland wanted to build much needed new homes on this site. Chiltern have been criticised by a government inspector for failing to have adequate land available for development.

“This site is a sad indictment of a council that is out of touch with reality. Sorry, we really did want to build here.”