PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT
St Helier Street Life Programme
Poster Towers and Signage
Purpose of the Report
This purpose of this report is to enable the Minister to consider proposals for the provision and funding, from the Urban Renewal budget, of two pieces of street furniture: poster towers; and directional signage. These proposals are sponsored by the St Helier Urban Regeneration Project Group.
Background and discussion
Poster Towers
The display of advertisements requires planning consent 1 . The Town Centre Manager has identified a problem with illegal fly-posting in the town centre whereby posters, usually advertising music events, are posted on empty shop windows, power control boxes and lampposts.
This is unsightly and serves to undermine and erode the appearance and character of the town making it less attractive and safe for all who use it, be they residents, visitors or traders. At present, it is reported that up to £10,000 a year is spent removing fly-posting and little or no action is taken to prosecute offenders. The issue is not presently actively policed by the Planning and Building Services Enforcement Team. The Connétable of St Helier and the Town Centre Manager wish to address the issue as part of maintaining and enhancing the attractiveness of the town centre.
The Town Centre Manager is proposing the erection of poster towers as part of the solution to this problem (report at appendix 2) and is seeking support from Urban Renewal funds to implement this initiative.
It is envisaged that the space provided by the poster towers could be used for advertising of events on a commercial basis which would be used to fund their management by a contractor.
Issues
Mixed approach: Best practice from the UK suggests that no single measure is likely to be wholly effective, but a co-ordinated response that reflects the location and scale of the problem may deliver successful outcomes. Some examples of approaches in the UK are set out planning advice from the Scottish Government (see appendix 3). Some innovative approaches to fly-posting in Scotland include:
· Managed poster towers in Dundee - Winner of Business Partnership award in 2006.
· Anti fly posting strategy in Aberdeen - Finalist Local Environmental Quality award in 2007.
· Clean Glasgow Campaign use of cancelled stickers - Winner of Programme of the Year award in 2008.
As can be seen from the TCM’s report, it is proposed that the introduction of these facilities in Jersey be made on the basis of close co-operation with those clubs and retailers who are largely responsible for the fly-posting that is undertaken in St Helier.
Impact on visual amenity: In terms of visual amenity, there are two issues to consider and weigh. Clearly, illegal fly-posting detracts from the visual amenity of St Helier. The introduction of additional street furniture, in the form of poster towers, as shown at appendix 4, however, also has an impact upon the public realm and serves to undermine the principle of minimising visual clutter on the street.
It is evident that the impact of general street furniture is an issue of particular concern to some Islanders (see Alastair Layzell’s report: ‘What our eyes don’t see’ at appendix 5);
Design: It is evident that poster towers are highly functional structures but that, should this project be supported, an attempt is made to ensure that they seek to reflect the materials used in recent public realm improvements, to attempt to secure some degree of uniformity and cohesion in the town’s street furniture.
Where Ministerial consent is granted to a form of design for street furniture, this may be subsequently benefit from deemed consent 2 .
Costs: costs of providing these units from a UK and local supplier have been sourced ranging from approximately £2,000 each for a powder coated steel structure to £2,200 for a stainless steel structure. Additional installation and shipping costs would also be incurred.
The TCM has proposed that the management and maintenance of these structures and the advertisements upon them would be undertaken by a contractor, funded by the revenue from the sale of advertising space. It is not clear whether, if clubs and shops are to be charged for the management and maintenance of the towers, whether they will use them or will continue to fly-post.
Directional signage
The Transport and Technical Services Department wishes to up-date existing and install new directional signage throughout the Town Centre to specifically sign Tourist Information. It is proposed that this be undertaken to accord with existing directional signage installed as part of the St Helier Street Life Programme at Sand Street and Broad Street in brushed stainless steel and to update these elements of streets furniture.
The location and style of proposed signage is set out at appendix 6.
The Transport and Technical Services department is requesting support to undertake this project from Urban Renewal funds at a cost of £3,000.
States Strategic Plan Linkage
1. Supporting the Island community through the economic downturn: through new programmes of maintenance/ infrastructure spending
2. Maintain a strong, environmentally sustainable and diverse economy: support for local retail business and support for the efficient and effective movement of goods and people;
10. Maintain and develop the Island’s infrastructure: investment in maintenance and enhancement of roads and streets
13. Protect and enhance the built environment: persuade people out of cars by improving facilities for pedestrians; making better use of urban areas and increasing the quality of design
Departmental Business Plan Linkage
P&E 2009
· Objective 4: Support the delivery of a high quality, viable and vibrant urban environment;
P&E 2010
· Objective 3: ensuring access for people with disabilities;
· Objective 3: ensuring the design of the built environment facilitates healthy lifestyles;
· Objective 3: supporting ‘designing out crime’.
Costs and funding
The current status of the Urban Renewal budget is set out below
Current balance (July 2010) | £ (000s) |
IBP040: La Motte Street | 7.62 |
IBP042: Cheapside | 0.15 |
CO971: Urban Renewal | 74.62 |
Balance sheet: WEB contribution | 50.00 |
| 132.39 |
Potential commitments | |
St Paul’s Arch relocation (held pending site selection) | (3.50) |
La Motte Street resurfacing (subject to out-turn costs) | (27.00) |
Conway Street lighting (subject to out-turn costs) | (5.00) |
Contribution to Cheapside enhancement scheme | (90.0) |
| (125.5) |
| |
Potentially available funds | 6.89 |
Summary and recommendations
Poster Towers
Whilst supporting the objective of cleaning up the town centre by tackling the issue of fly-posting, it is not clear that the proposed use of poster towers would make a positively beneficial or viable contribution to the resolution of this issue on the basis that the commercial viability of their management is considered to be questionable and that any cost for their use by advertisers may not alleviate fly-posting.
Subject to the satisfactory resolution of the issue at 1. above, the principle of the use of poster towers or other suitable managed poster sites, is supported and is considered worth pursuing on a trial basis to determine whether and how they are used and whether they serve to reduce the problem of fly-posting to any significant degree.
On the basis of the above, it is, therefore, recommended that the Minister for Planning and Environment;
1 Supports the principle of the use of poster towers to alleviate fly-posting, subject to the satisfactory resolution of their ongoing maintenance and management;
2 Supports the introduction of no more than two units, on a trial basis, subject to;
a) the use of a design with a stainless steel frame;
b) the approval of their exact location, to be agreed with the Planning and Environment Department;
3 Authorises the release of up to £3,000 from Urban Renewal funds, subject to the availability of resources, to contribute to the supply and installation of one unit.
It is further recommended that the Minister for Planning and Environment requests the Town Centre Manager to explore and develop a co-ordinated response to the issue of fly-posting, having regard to best practice from elsewhere, and specifically seeking to liaise with the Planning and Environment Department Enforcement Team, relative to the potential enforcement of planning legislation in relation to persistent offenders.
Directional signage
The maintenance of existing and the provision of new directional signage in materials consistent with existing high quality street furniture is of value to the vitality and viability of the St Helier Town Centre. It is recommended that, subject to the availability of funding, the Minister for Planning and Environment authorises the release of up to £3,000 from Urban Renewal funds to support this work.
Reason(s) for Decision
The proposed work accords with and contributes towards a number of States and Departmental objectives related to ease of access, the provision and maintenance of infrastructure and the use and quality of the built environment.
Legal and resource implications
Subject to the out-turn costs of existing projects, there are sufficient resources within the Urban Renewal budget to contribute toward these works.
Action Required
Notify T&TS and PoSH of the Minister’s decision and the potential release of funds, on the conditional bases set out above, from the Urban Renewal budget;
Written by: | Assistant Director: Policy and Projects |
| |
Endorsed by: | |
Attachments:
1. Extract from Planning and Building (Display of Advertisements)(Jersey) Order, 2006
2. Poster Towers: Town Centre Manager’s Report;
3. Planning Advice Note 80: Control and Management of Fly-Posting
4. Poster Towers: specification and design
5. What our eyes don’t see: the destruction of the public realm: report by Alastair Layzell
6. Advance directional signage: location and design
1/01/13/20
kjp/11/08/10
APPENDIX 1
Extract from Planning and Building (Display of Advertisements)(Jersey) Order, 2006
Class C<><><> | |
Approved advertisement | C An advertisement announcing a local event of a religious, educational, cultural, political, social or recreational character (including an advertisement relating to a temporary matter in connection with such an event). |
Advertisement not approved | C.1 An advertisement is not approved by Class C if it has an area exceeding 2 square metres. C.2 An advertisement is not approved by Class D if it relates to an event promoted or carried on for a commercial purpose. |
Conditions | C.3 The advertisement must be maintained in a clean and tidy condition. C.4 Any hoarding or similar structure used to display the advertisement must be maintained in a safe condition. C.5 The advertisement must not be sited or displayed so as – (a) to obscure or hinder the ready interpretation of a road traffic sign or an aid to navigation by water or air; or (b) to render hazardous the use of a road or airfield. C.6 The advertisement must not contain letters, figures, symbols, emblems or devices of a height exceeding 400mm. C.7 The advertisement must not be displayed so that the highest part of it is above 4 metres from ground level. C.8 The advertisement must not be illuminated. C.9 The advertisement must not be displayed earlier than 28 days before the date of the event and must be removed within 14 days after its conclusion. |
Interpretation of Class C | C.10 For the purpose of Class C “ground level”, in relation to the display of an advertisement on a building, means the ground-floor level of the building. |
1 Article 10, Planning and Building (Display of Advertisements)(Jersey) Order, 2006. See appendix 1.
2 Class A2(b) Planning and Building (General Development)(Jersey)Order
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