Central Beds Council Roadside banner ban "slightly heavy-handed"
Central Bedfordshire Council’s sustainable communities overview and scrutiny committee has been discussing it
Threats of criminal prosecution for displaying roadside advertising in Central Bedfordshire were “a slightly heavy-handed approach” adopted by the local authority, a meeting heard.
“It perhaps wasn’t appropriate,” Central Bedfordshire Council’s sustainable communities overview and scrutiny committee was told by its executive member for finance.
Independent Aspley and Woburn councillor John Baker was responding to a motion from Independent Leighton Linslade West councillor Victoria Harvey.
She called on “CBC’s planning enforcement to urgently find a low-cost solution that supports local community groups to responsibly put up and take down banners and posters promoting their activities, as well as preventing excessive business advertising in public areas”.
Councillor Baker said: “It sounds as if there’s been a slightly heavy-handed approach, which perhaps wasn’t appropriate.
“I don’t like bureaucracy standing in the way of these events. As long as they’re not a highways risk in an officer’s judgment then it isn’t really a problem.
“We can’t treat one group differently from another. This could just be solved without any need for extra red tape. I’m happy to help resolve these problems.
“If you want to talk about a policy, that’s a long process to get an urgent matter sorted out. The ides of a simple form to fill in doesn’t seem unreasonable. The initial reaction was too great for which I apologise on behalf of the council.”
Councillor Harvey agreed “this could be solved quickly with some common sense”, adding: “There were no problems with banners around Leighton Buzzard since 2008.
“But two or three businesses became slightly excessive. There were three complaints, and officers wrote to all community groups threatening them with a criminal prosecution and a £100 fine if they put the banners up again.
“The CBC Leighton-Linslade partnership committee recognised the critical importance of banners for advertising events to keep societies financially viable. So many groups are suggesting they’re unable to continue because they can’t advertise.
“Permission is needed from highways for up to 0.6sqm size of banner, if there’s support from the landowner. Perhaps we can allocate two or three spaces where the maximum size is 2m by 1m.”
Independent Arlesey and Fairford councillor Jodie Chillery warned: “By having a blanket ‘no you can’t do this, otherwise we’ll threaten to take you to court’, there’s the possibility we’re encouraging more dangerous behaviour.
“Banners could be put up on private land, with a more dangerous impact on road safety.”
Conservative Dunstable West councillor Nigel Young, who chairs the committee, said: “These are local businesses promoting our high streets and the cultural side. They shouldn’t be charged exorbitant sums to enjoy that privilege.”
CBC’s deputy chief executive and director of place and communities Lorna Carver said: “There’s a flyposting policy.
“We’ve a duty to treat everyone the same. The priority is road and pedestrian safety. There’s a package around the theatre at Leighton Buzzard already in place. That does include banners is my understanding.
“Across the whole area, we need to be compliant with policy. Highways officers are acting in line with that.” Councillors agreed a recommendation for a simple form to be filled in by event organisers.