A-board ban bad for business, say traders hit by council fines
Hackney Town Hall. Photograph: Hackney Citizen
Shop and café owners are being threatened with fines by the council for placing A-boards outside their premises.
Hackney Council says they create an obstacle and the Royal National Institute of Blind People supports a “complete ban”.
But entrepreneurs have condemned moves to banish the boards – a crucial tool for attracting passers-by – as overzealous and “another nail in the local shopkeepers’ coffin”.
The council itself advertises on so-called six sheet boards, which occupy far more pavement space than most A-boards.
Hackney Wick record shop Vinyl Pimp was sent a letter by the council telling them to clear away their A-board or risk being hit with a penalty charge.
Theo Christou, who runs Clapton café Doolo’s, claims the council sent him a fixed penalty notice along with picture of his board. He is contesting the fine.
Jenny Hunt, co-manager of café Darton and Hunt in Lower Clapton Road, advertises her business on a small A-board.
She said: “The council are being quite hypocritical really when we’ve got this huge ugly council sign outside which takes up half the pavement.”
Tony Belford of Danny’s Motor Shop said bikes “flying down the pavement” were a greater threat to pedestrians than A-boards.
He said: “The council should do something constructive. This is just another tax. It’s another nail in the local shopkeepers’ coffin”.
The council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods Councillor Feryal Demirci said: “It is in the interests of residents, business owners and the Council that Hackney’s high streets are open and accessible to all.
“We are currently writing to some businesses about their use of A-boards as they create an obstacle on pavements which has caused a nuisance to many and which both RNIB and Disability Backup have campaigned to us about.
“Since 2006 we have been removing street furniture including bollards and other obstacles, and have removed more than 6km of railing. By asking businesses to help to keep our pavements open to all we are asking them to join a process which has already started with the Council.”
A-boards are permitted on privately owned outdoor space but not on streetways, which are controlled by the council.
For a long time now Hackney council has kept Hackney Central’s Mare Street and Narroway free of highway obstructions such as A-boards and it looks great. It is a much more attractive and inviting shopping street without squalid A-boards all over the pavements advertising cash machines, health lottery and the like.
Shops have shop fronts to advertise there wares and better shop fronts would enhance our town centres further.
Additionally we are told they are a real nuisance to those with sight and mobility impairments. Creating an attractive and accessible street for all has to be a good thing in my view.
And of course, obstructing the pavement with unlawful obstructions is illegal and Hackney has a statutory duty to keep the pavements clear of such obstructions.
Best wishes
Cllr Vincent stops
Cll.stops,Perhaps you will now get down hoxton market and move the group of up to twenty drunks that congregate there and have done for over ten years now even after many complaints from locals.Or is hoxton market too far from mare street to count?You cant miss the drunks,they are opposite icelands under the lampost with the notice saying that it is an offence to drink in that area.This group cause more upset etc than any signs etc.
Hackney Living Streets look out for the interests of pedestrians in Hackney and have long lobbied for the removal of A-boards from pavements. These are an obstacle for anyone trying go make their way along the pavement including those wheeling buggies, trolllies and for wheelchair users. They are a particular hazard for visually impaired people. Pavements should be for people not advertising space for businesses. We are very pleased that Hackney Council have taken this step to clear pavements of these hazards. Advertisements should be on overhead flag signs or on shop fronts.
Brenda Puech
Hackney Living Streets
well done to the Council on taking this sensible decision. how on earth can this be bad for business? it could only harm business if some were allowed to have a board while others in the same sector were not, this makes for a level playing field along with of course a safer environment for all pedestrians. but don’t take my word for the good sense of this, take a walk around the wonerfully unclutter town of Kingston where boards are banned and yet shops, cafes Etc remain open and doing a good trade
I sympathise with the traders, but as a pedestrian (and shopper) I’m not a fan of A-boards. The council should make sure it applies the policy consistently, but should also put its own house in order by making another effort to get rid of the dozens and dozens of illuminated advertising panels which it unwisely allowed to be installed on our pavements back in the late ’90s. What a blight they are. Was the contract with J C Decaux really so badly negotiated that it can’t be broken? There’s an interesting line of enquiry for one of your budding journos, Hackney Citizen.
Hackney Disability BackUp (DBU) warmly welcomes the recent decision by the Mayor and Cabinet to allow no “A” boards (advertising signs) on the public highway in Hackney. Many disabled people, older people and people with buggies will welcome effective enforcement of a policy to remove these annoying and sometimes dangerous obstructions from Hackney’s pavements.In a recent DBU survey, Getting There*, 78% of disabled people in Hackney found “A” board signs to be hazardous. We called upon the Council to take strict enforcement measures to remove marketing clutter from the footways and to ensure that restaurant and bar premises are properly licensed for occupying part of the footway and sanctioned if they abuse the licensing terms. We said we’d prefer to see a zero tolerance approach to unlicensed obstacles on the footway.Hence, we are happy that Hackney Council has responded so positively. We are confident that upholding the new Local Environmental Enforcemental Quality Enforcement Strategy will mean Hackney becomes a much less inaccessible borough for disabled people to live in and travel around.
* Page 15 of “Getting There”, http://www.disabilitybackup.org.uk/lobbying/Lobbying-Getting-There-Transport-Report-2012-10-222.pdf
I am very pleased to hear that the A-boards will be removed as they do cause a problem for so many people with prams, mobility problems, and those who, like myself, have sight loss. This will make walking around our streets much more pleasant – and indeed much more possible – for those people. I don’t believe this move could really harm a business’s interests for the reasons outlined above.
I congratulate this move but would also suggest that the council bans shops from also cluttering pavements with their wares. The pavement in front of the post office in Church street is almost unwalkable at times. with plants compost bags ice cream selling etc. making it very difficult for anyone to walk on the pavement let alone if one is disabled and or has a pram.