Council to get tough on street furniture obstructing pavements & fly posting

THAME Town Council is getting tough over unauthorised ‘fly posting’ around the town, and on unauthorised structures, such as A boards, table and chairs, and bins that may be a danger to the vulnerable such as the elderly or people with impaired eye-sight.

In response to recent concerns raised about obstructions on some of the town’s pavements, including bins and tables and chairs, the council has now adopted a Promotional Signs Policy and a Structures on the Highway policy.

Although the council has produced the latter policy: “.. to set acceptable standards for the placing of structures within the highways 30mph speed restriction boundary of Thame,” it says that it wishes to encourage ‘the economic viability of the town’ but that this has to be balanced against statutory legal obligations and ‘equality of treatment to members of the public’.

However, the council states in its Policy that it recognises that some discretion is needed within the town centre with regards to business signage eg A Boards, displayed goods, objects and structures including bins, planters, tables and chairs, musical instruments and temporary trading stands.

At a recent meeting of the council’s Policy and Resources committee, when the policies were ratified, Cllr Nichola Dixon expressed particular concern over the number of ‘A’ boards often placed outside the entrance to Swan Walk, in Upper High Street, Thame.

The full criteria, standards and Enforcement procedures set out in the two policies, can be read at the following location, item 15: LINK HERE