Streetscene enforcement campaign

Released: 7 December 2007

Wolverhampton businesses and traders who have tables and chairs and use advertising ‘A’ boards or display goods on the pavement outside their premises are being contacted about the regulations which cover those activities.
 
The council operates a licensing system to govern the use of certain items on roads or pavements to make sure the city is attractive and inviting for residents, businesses and visitors. These include, among others, tables and chairs, free-standing advertising signs (A-boards) and goods for sale.

A new information and guidance leaflet is now available from the city council explaining all the requirements and details of how to apply for a licence where appropriate.

Visits will be made to all relevant premises across the city – estimated at over 600 in all - over the next few months before a more stringent enforcement campaign becomes operational.

Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor Pat Byrne, explained:” To keep the city safe and attractive for residents, visitors and shoppers the council has powers to keep roads and footpaths clear of obstructions.

“This also makes it easier for people with disabilities, parents with pushchairs or the elderly to move around the city.

“The licensing of tables, chairs and other objects on the highway is to ensure that footways are not obstructed, and for the safety of pedestrians.

“It is also to help improve the image of the city, along with new measures to combat litter and graffiti, and investment in new public squares.

“The council has allowed some of these items in the past in the spirit of encouraging business, but this has led to a significant increase in the number of articles without consent”, she added.

The Highways Act of 1980 allows for certain businesses to place tables and chairs on the pavement outside their premises without the need for planning permission, providing that a licence is obtained from the council.

The annual cost of a licence for tables and chairs is £250. Each application will be considered on its merits. For each location this will include the available space, the type and character of the street, kind of furniture proposed, the flow of pedestrians and any possible hazard to them.

Pavement advertising has become quite a common feature in Wolverhampton. Free-standing signs like A-boards or swing-type signs appear outside many shops across the city. Some of them are attractive and well-placed, while others are much less so. They can be hazardous to people with disabilities, and often leave little room for people to walk past them.

Technically, many of these signs are illegal since they contravene planning and advertising regulations. In the past the council has allowed the use of these signs in the spirit of encouraging business, but the number has dramatically increased to the point where action has become necessary.

From 2 January 2008, the council’s consent will be required for placing any object on the highway, including pavements and grass verges. The annual cost of a licence will be £150, although the council is not likely to approve applications for free-standing advertising signs.

Shopkeepers have been setting out their stalls for decades, placing goods on the pavement outside their shops. Often this gives an attractive and lively finish to a bustling and vibrant shopping environment.

However this is not always the case and the display of goods in this way can be hazardous to pedestrians, the elderly or people with disabilities. If accidents occur then both the shopkeeper and the council could find themselves facing legal action for compensation claims.

Clearly a blanket approach to this issue would not be fair, since each location is different, with some having wide pavements with plenty of room and others not. 

Some traders are more responsible than others in their approach to placing goods on the pavement. Some are very attractive and creative displays which are a credit to their environment, while others are less thoughtful and create street clutter.

As with pavement advertising, the council’s consent will be required for placing goods and produce on the highway, including pavements and grass verges, from 2 January 2008. The annual cost of the licence will be £150.

Each application will be considered on its merits and give consideration to the space available, the street environment, access for people with disabilities and other factors.

The council appreciates that it may take some time for businesses to adjust to these requirements, and will act with appropriate discretion where possible. From 1 April 2008 however, it will be an offence to place goods or items on the highway without the council’s consent, for which a fine can be issued.

Issued by the press office.