Carmarthenshire County Council are banning advertising 'A' Boards from Carmarthen shops as they may pose a risk to pedestrians and visually impaired. Struggling traders, who will struggle even more when the St Catherine's Walk development opens, have opposed the ban with a 600 name petition.
The Council were somewhat embarrassed then when it's own promotional advertising boards were photographed plonked in the middle of Guildhall Square.
The council's answer to the ban is that the adverts could be put on bins; so much for worrying about the visually impaired as they will then have to negotiate around 4 foot high wheelie bins.
3 comments:
There are a few relevant points that I don't feel have been made so far.
Only local businesses were initially chosen for enforcement.It was only when I complained about this that high street businesses in Red Street were told to bring in their signs.Yet again this illustrates the councils' desire to turn Carmarthen into every other high street branded shopping centre even though its constantly pointed out that people come to this town for its unique shops.We are expected to accept wholesale change of our town centre for Debenhams but our signs are an inconvenience!
The council gave me a flyer which gave guidelines on when and where an A board constituted an obstruction.When I phoned up to discuss how I could place my board in a way as not to cause an obstruction I was told that 'if we remove one we have to remove all'.This would constitue a ban.I seriously doubt that legally this is possible.
The point made in the main article about the bins is relevant.What this implies is that if you pay for it,then the council does not mind you creating an obstacle for visually impaired people.
Hi Matt,
Thanks for your comment and for clarifying the situation further. I agree, the council seems determined to destroy the unique character of the town centre and the colourful array of individual, local shops.
Keep you signs and the best of luck for future trading when the soulless new centre opens.
Caebrwyn
Matt, I forgot to add that the debenhams development itself may be a bit suspect as Simons Group were fined for tender rigging elsewhere. I have asked Mark James to clarify but no response yet. http://carmarthenplanning.blogspot.com/2009/09/st-catherines-walk-tenders.html
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