Chaos over roundabout adverts (From Worcester News)

Chaos over roundabout adverts

7:10am Monday 6th September 2010 in

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CITY planners could take action against their own council over controversial roundabout advertising signs.

There are concerns about the size, location and number of the signs, which bring about £25,000 a year in revenue and are used to help protect frontline services. and the impact they have on conservation areas and highways safety.

And one Worcester firm has been refunded thousands of pounds it spent on a sign that never materialised.

Your Worcester News reported in June how the council had put a stop to taking on more sponsorship deals while it tried to sort out the planning issues.

Thompsons Discount Electrical, which has two stores in the city centre, threatened legal action against marketing firm Immediate Solutions, which is working with the council, after the £3,500 it paid in April for advertising on the roundabout near Sainsbury’s at Blackpole did not come to anything.

Sales director Robin Woodhouse said he got the money back last month but the system was a mess.

He asked: “Are they going to get planning permission? Are the ones there legitimate? I just don’t know.”

Council planning manager Alan Coleman said Worcester City Council and Immediate Solutions had been avised about the concerns and advised to submit revised applications.

He said: “Those signs are clearly in breach of planning control and we could pursue enforcement action to seek their removal. However, in accordance with our policy where the applicant is actively seeking to satisfy concerns we would delay enforcement action.”

Immediate Solutions said they could not comment as part of an agreement with Worcester City Council.

Graham Lucas, head of financial services at the council, said Immediate had been told to give any money back to firms who asked for it and what happened with Thompsons was “unfortunate”.

Mr Lucas admitted that gaining planning permission for the signs was taking longer than expected but said the council was just trying to make everything “whiter than white”.

Assuming permission is granted for revised signs, Mr Lucas said those already in place and deemed too big would be replaced when existing contracts with businesses end.

Mr Lucas said he hoped the new applications would be ready within weeks but they would have to go before a committee which only meets once a month.