To consider the recommendations and findings of the Signs and Banners Task and Finish Group. [Report attached]

Contact  Danial Webb    Tel 01743 258509

The Chair of the Signs and Banners Task and Finish Group, Councillor Joyce Barrow, introduced the final report.  Members noted that the group had considered a variety of street advertising types and related permits and had taken evidence from a wide range of people.  The Chair of the Task and Finish Group stated that although she felt the group had produced a comprehensive report it had been completed before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and therefore she suggested that the recommendations of the group should be postponed until the crisis was over.

Councillor Andy Boddington was invited to speak. He observed that a policy for A boards was overdue and suggested that an effective policy should be in place before the recommendations were considered by Cabinet.  He continued that the recommendations in the report appertaining the introduction of charges were not supported by a relevant policy.  In the light of this, he suggested that the Task and Finish Group had not completed its work and it was unrealistic to delay the implication of charges for a further year to enable the policy to be developed. 

Councillor Boddington continued that the implementation of charges for A boards were an unfair tax on businesses in Ludlow and the Task and Finish Group had not taken into account the unique circumstances of the town.  Observing that A boards should add to the appearance of the street without creating clutter, it was important that traders had a clear understanding of what was expected of them in a difficult time for businesses.

Members responded that the report had not specified the type or positioning of A boards as this was felt to be a decision for individual Town and Parish Councils to suit their location, but the group had discussed concerns relating the proliferation of boards and the impact this had for less able pedestrians and the appearance of town centres.

Members concurred that the groups recommendations on charging should not be considered until the Covid-19 crisis was over and businesses were on a better financial footing and enforcement realistic.  The Scrutiny Officer observed that the charging recommended in the report was based on the area taken up by the sign. 

In response to a Members question regarding the policy for A boards in rural areas, the Chair of the Task and Finish Group observed that most A boards in rural areas were placed within the curtilage of the property and were situated on private land.  The recommendations only appertained to signage placed on public land. 

The Portfolio Holder for Communities, Place Planning and Regulatory Services stated that he welcomed the Task and Finish Groups report and acknowledged that the work had been undertaken before the start of the pandemic.  He continued that Economic Development Officers were working with traders to develop a raft of measures to assist their businesses through the Covid-19 crisis.  New policies could not be fairly implemented until a sense of how town centres would appear after the pandemic.  He continued that any costs imposed for licensing signage must be cost neutral to the Council and more work was required to establish this was the case for the charging recommendations made in the report.  He continued that the recommendations made by the Task and Finish Group would be considered as part of the wider policy for the High Streets.

In response to a Member’s question the Scrutiny Officer confirmed that the work of the Task and Finish Group had been completed and it had ceased to exist.  He continued that the Committee could request to consider any policy developed as a result of its work. 

RESOLVED:

i)     That the policy for banners, bunting and Christmas decorations be drafted, to include where appropriate, provisions for specific retail centres;

ii)    That a policy for A boards be set and actively enforced;

iii)   That the regulations contained in the body of this report be included in the policy for A boards;

iv)   That the total cost of administering and enforcing the scheme be reflected in the cost of an A board permit;

v)    That town and parish councils be consulted on supplementary policies for A boards for their local area;

vi)   That the intention to increase charges for pavement permits to a level that fully recovered the cost of administering and enforcing the scheme be not proceeded with and that these fees be subject to an annual review;

vii)  That an additional cost recovery fee of £200 on new and annual renewals of pavement permits be not proceed with; and

viii)That the scheme of charges for the housing development sign permit scheme, be revised to a level that fully recovers the cost of administering and enforcing the scheme.