Issue - meetings

(a)       That the policy of a general advertisement consent covering specified areas within identified town centres be agreed, to be explored further through consultation with interested services within the Council, relevant Town/Community Councils and other interested parties and focus groups;

(b)       That the criteria for such a consent (conditions on the draft Advertisement Consent and Highways permit) be piloted in Mold town centre where a formal planning application (Consent to Display Advertisements) be submitted (by the appropriate officer) for the eventual consideration of the Planning & Development Control Committee;

(c)       That feedback from the consultation process be reported back to the Committee before moving forward; and

(d)       That, following the consultation, the policy document be reviewed by the Committee to ensure clarity on the wording.

Councillor Kevin Jones introduced a report to seek agreement on consultation for the grant of a general advertisement consent covering specified areas within town centres to address the problem of unauthorised advertisements on the public highway under the various legislation.  It was proposed that the approach be trialled in Mold town centre due to potential issues arising from an increase in the display of ‘A’ boards.  Councillor Jones referred to previous work done on this and explained that the intent was to work closely with Mold Town Council, the Mold town centre Manager and local businesses to regulate ‘A’ boards whilst avoiding any negative impact on trading.

The Development Manager provided explanation on the current practice for dealing with unauthorised advertisements and spoke about the value of ‘A’ boards in contributing to the vitality of town centres.  He said that planning legislation could be used to introduce a policy, similar to that operated by other councils, to allow the continued display of such advertisements with set criteria and joint controls in place to address safety concerns.  A shared plan for the initial scheme in Mold town centre showed that the Consent would seek to protect core retail areas, although it was acknowledged that some commercial premises operated outside this.  The introduction of a permit scheme from Streetscene would require further discussion and benchmarking on the practice of other councils.  Attention was drawn to section 1.08 of the report detailing criteria for the permitted display of ‘A’ boards.

Councillor Brian Lloyd questioned the reason behind the proposals and asked about the availability of figures on injuries caused by ‘A’ boards.  He stressed the importance of consultation and said that most display boards in Mold were placed up against the shops which did not create a safety hazard, suggesting that the safety issues in Daniel Owen Square could be addressed by utilising nearby advertising space.  He went on to refer to display boards located outside the proposed area of Consent, such as New Street and Chester Street, which could present a risk.

Councillor Jones pointed out that the consultation, which formed part of the report’s recommendations, had not yet taken place.

The Development Manager explained that this was the first stage of the process to seek Members’ views and that if agreed, would progress to wider consultation on developing the policy with the Town Centre manager and various retail groups, rather than on an individual basis.  He did not have statistics on injuries but explained that the proposal was to introduce a policy which offered greater controls for the Council whilst recognising the advertising needs of local businesses.  In terms of the placing of ‘A’ boards outside shops, the plan needed to be read in conjunction with the criteria set out in the report.  Having previously been explored, the suggestion for Daniel Owen Square was not recommended due to concerns about the potential accumulation of signage.  Commercial premises located outside the proposed area of Consent would still need to apply for permission  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61