Monday, January 04, 2010

'OFFICIAL' ADVERT BOARD THE ANSWER?

Just a thought...North Lincolnshire Council appears to be planning a bit of a clampdown on businesses' A-boards propped up round the town centre.
Brigg Blog suggests: How about creating an official advertising board/display on the piece of grass on Barnard Avenue near the Old Courts Road traffic lights?
Businesses could either group together to fund their own display, or the council could set one up and charge them an annual fee for advertising.
Small businesses quite rightly want to advertise their services, and wares, to drivers passing by on the A18; the council, of course, has a duty to ensure planning guidelines are met on temporary signs.
The current temporary A-boards on this piece of grass always seem to catch the eye as you drive past. But before someone suggests the road safety angle, we'd better point out that's irrelevant, as North Lincolnshire Council advertises its own farmers' market, and other events, on the railings near the Monument, permits sponsorship advertising on flowerbeds/roundabouts, and (in Scunthorpe) puts its own notices along prominent routes (eg on Ashby Road, near Pittwood House).
When Brigg Town Council debated the A-boards issue, both sides of the argument came out. On the one hand there's the requirement for pedestrians, particularly in wheelchairs and those who are blind or partially-sighted, to be able to walk about without having to dodge signs on the pavement; on the other hand, the powers-that-be need to note that many Brigg small firms, particularly down the courtyards, would really benefit from alerting would-be customers about their location, goods and services. Hence the popularity of these A-boards.
It's hardly on a par with Solomon and the Biblical baby, but North Lincolnshire Council is not faced with an easy decision here.

1 comment:

Ken Harrison said...

Yes........ and as well, how about finger posts attached to existing lamposts directing shoppers to the various emporiums?
In one sense, some of these already exist attached to the alleyway leading the ?Chapel Yard.

It shouldn't cost a lot - it could be self-financing - nil cost to the public - shopkeepers should be able to meet the cost themselves....the extra cost would obviously be getting someone to do the fixing to designated posts.

I envisage such finger post signs being a simple metal bar from which a suitable plastic (writing on both sides) sign dangles....or something similar. Such signs could be inter-changable to advertise specific shop events - ie sales and etc.

They could be staggered at various heights so no-one can complain that their sign is being hidden by another.

There would, however, be a need, for example, to establish a criteria of acceptable colour range, style of writing and designs.

AND a sensible decision by Brigg TC and NLC.

.....and these would not preclude a nest of A-boards in a disignated site.

See - problem solved...easy.