Council clamps down on hazardous city centre advertising boards

Following the opening of the Inverness streetscape project, city centre business owners in Inverness have been advised – in the interests of public safety - to remove all free-standing advertising boards erected on public footpaths.

Letters were hand delivered on Monday to 62 city centre businesses, which were displaying promotional boards on pavements.

They were advised to remove the boards within seven days or face having the boards removed by the Council, who would seek to recover the costs of removal from the business.

The action is in line with a decision taken in September 2008 by The Highland Council’s Inverness City Committee under the terms of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 and is now being implemented following completion of the streetscape project.  

Les Houlker, The Highland Council’s Technical Manager with Transport Environmental and Community Services, said: “The Council recognises the need to strike a balance between allowing businesses to flourish and public safety. As advertising boards present a hazard to pedestrians -  particularly the visually impaired and disabled - it has been decided that only in exceptional circumstances, such as within a cordoned off outdoor café area, would permission be given to place advertising boards on the public footpath.”