|
Published:
May 27, 2006
Pavement
advertising boards could be banned from Burnham streets
Some shop owners in Burnham-On-Sea could soon be asked to remove
advertising boards from pavements in the town.
While
the owners of the boards pictured on this page are abiding by
town council rules, a number of other businesses are not.
The
issue this week prompted a fresh debate among town councillors
about enforcement of the rules.
Town
Improvements Committee Chairman Louise Parkin said: "The
current rules state that businesses who are located away from
the High Street do not place their advertising boards along the
High Street - but a few traders are ignoring this."
 Town
clerk Eileen Shaw said she receives a steady flow of complaints
from traders regarding the signs.
Mayor
Eric Gill told this week's meeting: "There may be a few sour
grapes on the part of a few traders, but we have to be fair here
and give everyone a level playing field."
Cllr
Neville Jones added that the location of the boards is important
in keeping the town's High Street uncluttered.
"These
boards should be sited close to where businesses are based. If
they're not, traders could start placing them anywhere - even
next to the fountain half a mile away."
There
are no plans to completely ban all advertising boards, but councillors
are considering a crack down on those that infringe the rules.
John
Edwards, Chairman of Burnham's Chamber Of Trade, suggested that
finger post signs be introduced around the town pointing the way
to shops.
"A
good compromise would be to ask traders based in the side streets
to remove their advertising boards and buy a space on these official
finger posts instead," he said. "That way, we keep everyone
happy."
The
Chamber Of Trade plans to consult with shop owners during the
coming months to investigate the issue further.
|
