Mansfield Chad
13trh October 2008Catherine Allen
" A model railway event organiser has described a council move to block him from displaying road signs directing people to an exhibition in Kirkby as 'bureaucracy gone mad'. "
Get the RAC or AA to sign your event ..... but at what cost ?
Locally we appear to have an epidemic of yellow signs directing you to local places I never even knew existed .... just like these :-
How many of us have seen 'signs' painted on old bed sheets hanging from motorway bridges or on pedestrian railings at roundabouts proclaiming undying love to Gavin / Stacey on his / her 40th ?
What about the A4 pieces of card stapled to wooden steaks every 10 yards advertising the local village fete or the vicars harvest festival.
I know they are there as a sign of loss and respect but what about bunches of flowers clipped to lamp posts etc. at the site of fatal accidents. Not only these a distraction they are also in an accident prone spot and the placing of all of the above must be a H & S issue.
What next ? Banning hitch hikers holding up a destination sigh at the side of the road !
Rant Rant Rant Rant Rant OK I will get off my soap box now :-)
Chris
On 15/10/2008 02:36, Dragon Heart said,
But it's OK for local councils to make money by allowing "sponsored" advertising placards to be placed in the middle of roundabouts, where drivers need to be looking anywhere but at the adverts. North Somerset council being one of these...
I think They have Been lucky to get away with it for so long. I seam to remember that they where not allowed to put up signs to the Nottingham model railway show years ago but where allowed to put up signs directing the readers to the Victoria centre.
Which is more dangerous:
- a bunch of floweres stapled to a lamp-post?
- 1,000+ irritated car drivers circulating a block or two for the 25th time looking for a model exhibition that can't be seen from the road?
Regards, Greg.P.
Do what one of our local hotels does. Put your sign on a trailer and park it nearby. They can't get planning permission for a sign but they are perfectly entitled to park a roadworthy trailer.
Duncan
A local toy shop does the same ..... parking the company van on the main road and then putting a sign on one of the roof bars.
I agree with Greg.P " 1,000+ (?) irritated car drivers circulating a block or two for the 25th time looking for a model exhibition that can't be seen from the road ? " but the councils are saying do it via the RAC or AA. The councils have double standards or "do as I say not as I do" as they are quite happy to string banners between trees advertising the local sports centre or fun run etc.
" a bunch of flowers stapled to a lamppost ? " I recall back when a motorcyclist was killed on a blind bend and the flowers kept on coming eventually covering half the roadway.
To me the whole situation is just petty, yes I know if you give an inch some people will take a mile, but this chap was organised with professionally made signs who erected them the night prior to the show and removed them when it was finished. Councils are always on about attracting people to the area then they do this.
We live in a strange world !
Chris
A pub landlord I once knew used to play a game with the officialdom. . His pub had been on a crossroads but the main road was moved onto an over bridge which meant that traffic and business went past at roof height. Unable at the time to get permission for signs he resorted to buying an old fire engine the ladder of which when extended reached higher than the road embankment . Had a couple of small red flashing lamps on the ladder end which more than caught the eye of potential customers. Whenever the authorities started to complain he just lowered the ladder for a couple of days.
G.Harman
Not sure who wrote
The RAC & AA both charge substantial sums of money to sign special events, and whilst I know of one or two model railway shows which have gone down this route, for the vast majority the costs are totally prohibitive.
I just wonder whether the local authority in question (and others for that matter) actually get a kick-back from these motoring organisations?
John.
Tis I who wrote "but the councils are saying do it via the RAC or AA."
The high cost ( and the period of notice required ) is just my point.
How many other adds do we see by the side of the road which are sometimes 'nice' to look at ( or just offensive like the "Fish hook" by the Department of Health) but distracting.
The Wonderbra ad's back in 1998 or the latest one to cause a stir the Sloggi lingerie ad showing young lady cyclists wearing said lingerie.
I have not personally see any but I understand they also advertise lap dancing clubs on roadside billboards, try explaining that to a young child !
Back in 2006 the government was considering banning distracting adverts on motorways and major routes with a database of illegal advertising offenders. There was a comment earlier about "trailer adverts", apparently these ARE illegal. Did you know back in 2006 it was unlawful to fly a national flag without consent from the council unless it is flown from a vertical flagpole.
The legal position is this ......
There are many legal guidelines for the placement of adverts and signs by the side of the road. For example, 'Road Geometry' (2001) states ''Types of advertisement likely to cause danger to road users, and are open to control on public safety grounds are those that: -
Impair sight lines at corners, bends, junctions or accesses.
Obstruct traffic signs or signals or are likely to distract road users because of their unusual nature
Leave insufficient clearance for vehicles on the carriageway'
You probably will not be surprised to learn most of the statistical data on which these guidelines are based come via the USA.
I personally feel these are far more people seriously distracted whilst driving by using mobile phones, personal organisers, laptops, reading, smoking & eating than a simple sign for a railway exhibition.
The final word .......
You might but there is a difference in directional signs and Advertising on lamp posts
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