Biting back at the billboard blight

21 December 2005

Millions of people will soon be using England's motorways to visit friends and family this Christmas. But will they be heading through a winter wonderland or an advertising hoarding hell?

Three months on from the launch of CPRE's [1] campaign on roadside advertising, a number of major dual carriageway roads that were 'hotspots' are being cleared of billboards, but others remain.

And, while many local authorities are taking the problem seriously, many more have yet to show a commitment to stamp out unsightly roadside advertising.

NOTE TO EDITORS
Local planning authorities who have either endorsed CPRE's campaign or informed us they are taking action against unauthorised advertising beside major roads are listed at the end of this release.

Meanwhile, a new opinion poll shows that three in four drivers are in favour of a ban or greater restrictions on motorway advertising.[2]

Action has been taken along the A1 in the East of England and East Midlands; the A5 in Shropshire; the M1 in South Yorkshire; and the M6 and the M62 in Lancashire. But large advertising hoardings continue to deface the countryside by the M40 in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, as well as the M6 in Staffordshire.

Three companies 'named and shamed' in August — Tesco, Accor Hotels and Midland Mainline, have since told CPRE that they have abandoned their use of motorway advertising. Sixty local authorities have either endorsed our campaign, or have confirmed to us that they are taking action.[3]

Worryingly, the problem seems to have grown on the M25 London orbital north of the capital since August. Advertisers also continue to target the M40 from London to Birmingham despite repeated action by local authorities to keep the road clear, with adverts appearing for Chiltern Railways in recent months.

Paul Miner, CPRE's Planning Campaigner, said: 'We have successfully highlighted that much of this new roadside advertising is ugly, dangerous and is breaking planning rules. But the problem — up to one hoarding on every three miles of fast road — is still there and we need to do more.

'Highways Agency traffic officers have an important role to play in the monitoring of unsightly and dangerous billboards, but they can't tackle the problem on their own. We're calling on more local authorities, especially in the hotspots areas,[4] to endorse our campaign and take action.

'The Government has clearly said that it expects local authorities to take action, and has suggested providing a database of sites and known offenders to help councils bring court actions.[5] We need co-ordinated action to deal with the problem now, otherwise the cowboys will continue to get away with scarring our countryside with their tawdry, tatty billboards.'

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NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Sir Max Hastings. Patron: Her Majesty the Queen.

2. An opinion poll of 556 drivers conducted for www.motorinsurance.co.uk and published on their website on 30 November 2005 showed that 60% of motorists were in favour of a total ban on motorway advertising, and a further 15% believed that such advertisements should be restricted to licensed locations.

3. District councils have powers under the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 to control many types of advertisement and take enforcement action against those that they have not expressly authorised. Councils that have endorsed CPRE's campaign, or informed us they are taking action to remove unauthorised advertisements are as follows:

North West
Blackburn and Darwen, Blackpool, Bury, Chester, Chorley, Rochdale

North East
Gateshead, Northumberland County Council

Yorkshire and the Humber
Barnsley, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, Richmondshire, Rotherham, Ryedale

West Midlands
Bromsgrove, East Staffordshire, Oswestry, South Shropshire, South Staffordshire, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwick, Wychavon

East Midlands
Boston, Derbyshire Dales, East Lindsey, Harborough, Lincoln, North East Derbyshire, South Kesteven

East of England
Braintree, Broxbourne, Castle Point, Dacorum, Epping Forest, North Hertfordshire, Three Rivers

South West
Bournemouth, Carrick, East Devon, Forest of Dean, Mid Devon, North Wiltshire, South Somerset, Swindon, Tewkesbury

South East
Adur, Cherwell, Chichester, Crawley, Eastbourne, Eastleigh, Elmbridge, Hastings, Horsham, Lewes, Mid Sussex, New Forest, Rother, Sevenoaks, Wealden, Worthing

4. CPRE's Hoarding Hotspots map (201K PDF). This shows locations where, in 2005, there has been a proliferation of roadside advertising. According to survey work carried out by CPRE and the Highways Agency, there are 887 advertising hoardings located alongside the 2,673 miles of motorway and major roads surveyed. Photographs of advertising hoardings are available from the CPRE press office (020 7981 2880).

5. In a letter dated 26 July 2005 to all district councils in England, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) invited the suggestions of chief planning officers on the idea that 'local authorities should work with the Highways Agency and the police to identify where unlawful advertisements are being displayed. A register showing the offending sites and offenders could be kept, accessed and updated by all interested parties'.

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