A sign of anger

30 July 2010

Residents and traders gather against the proposal

TRADERS, residents and councillors are furious at proposals to slap almost all Upminster Town Centre's lampposts with large advertisement banners which they fear will detract custom from local businesses and be an eyesore.

The three proposals relating to 29 of the total 46 lampposts in the core centre of Upminster were submitted to Havering Council by London-based company Bay Media on July 9.

Lou Ridgeon, of Teachers Cupboard, in Corbets Tey Road said: "As a resident I think it will blight and make Upminster look really awful and as a trader I don't think local businesses are likely to be able to afford to advertise on these things.

"We won't have a say on what they advertise. It could drive business out of Upminster."

Amy McLaughlan, of Bay Media, said: "We're providing banners for local businesses. We do have a pre-arranged rate card. We aim to keep our rates as flexible as possible.

"If the planning team suggest for us to make them smaller we can do that.

"We take all concerns on board when we got through the planning process."

Bay Media want permission to put up the 2m x 0.8m non-illuminated PVC banner signs five-metres above ground on all the lampposts on both sides of the road in Station Lane from Upminster station to the Bell Corner crossroads; in St Mary's Lane from Waitrose to the Bell Corner crossroads; and in Corbets Tey Road from the BP Garage to the Bell Corner crossroads - but not on the park-side of the road.

If approved there would be an agreement that a percentage of the revenue from the advertising would go to the council. But neither the council or Bay Media could reveal the details of the commercial agreement.

Bay Media runs a similar scheme in Romford.

Councillor Ron Ower, who is also against the proposals and has called for them to go before the planning committee, said: "They want to put them all round the borough. They say they're doing it to earn income but I don't think they will earn a lot from it. It will probably cost us more than we'll gain from it. And they'll spoil the place."

Lou, along with several other traders who form a Traders Working Party within the Upminster Conservation Partnership, have been canvassing to encourage residents (who also largely disagree with the proposals) to make their views known online.

She said the Conservation Partnership had recently spent money on new street furniture "in keeping with the Edwardian feel" of the town including brackets for hanging baskets on the lampposts. She said even the CCTV cameras installed were "smaller so they were more characteristic".

The traders have also been working to raise cash for Upminster's Christmas lights.

Lou said: "Why go to all this expense using all this regeneration grant to then spoil them with all these big banners.

"If these banners go up there won't be room for Christmas lights."

The closing date for objections is Thursday August 5.