The BSGA and its advisors continue the arduous and, occasionally, frustrating monitoring of ‘Plans’ drawn up by local authorities to govern planning requirements within individual areas.
One ‘frustrating’ case concerned the draft plan produced by Reading Borough Council. The BSGA objected to an early draft of the plan, but the letter appears to have gone astray and none of the objections were considered.
So, the BSGA has been forced to go through the whole procedure again.
“The plan stated that uplighters and downlighters were not acceptable on signs, but the fact is that Reading’s commercial centre has many, many internally illuminated signs and many downlighters,” said David Catanach. “The text in the plan is impractical and their references to luminance are outdated.
“We’ve sent our objection again and this time asked for an acknowledgement.”
Poole Borough Council wanted to include a policy in the Historic Environment section that stated signs should reflect their surrounding in conservation areas and should avoid internal illumination.
The BSGA accepted that signs should reflect their surrounding in conservation areas – that is a statutory requirement – but strongly objected to the ban on illuminated signs in the commercial centre of Poole where they are already plenty of illuminated signs.
“These are just two examples of planning work that has to be done by the BSGA on an ongoing basis,” said David Catanach. “Without this work, local planning authorities would be able to run riot with unnecessary regulations that would make life hell for signmakers all over the country.”
Other local plans considered over recent weeks have included Chester West and Chester (acceptable); Halton BC (objection lodged); Hyndburn BC (acceptable); Telford and Wrekin (not fully satisfied – to be revisited in the future); Redbridge BC (acceptable); Southwark LBC (objection lodged); Bracknell Forest BC (acceptable).
European Sign Federation