Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Is the A-Board debate set to explode?
I hear on the grapevine that the owner of The Wharf is hopping mad after having had his business' A Board confiscated last Friday and who can blame him! If you scroll down to late November postings below you'll see that Tonbridge Blog has addressed this subject before. Indeed their now exists a Kent County Council scheme called A Board Aware which allows traders to apply to put a sticker on their windows saying that they are responsible board users and that they declare that they will not block the public highway (which includes the pavements) It seems that The Wharf owner hasn't heeded my advice to apply for a magic sticker. Mind you I did apply for mine on the same day, November 30th last year, and published the email I sent which you can still read below if you're that bothered. I also had to send them photos of typical positions of my intended A Board use. What did they conclude? Did they grant me a licence to display my sign? Well actually they neither granted it nor declined it. In fact I've heard nothing back from them at all. Not a thing, zilch. So much for clever, well meaning, sound bitey schemes if they take two months to get back to you. The guy at The Wharf will probably get a shock when he finds out that the Highways Department of KCC will bill him for taking the sign away, storing it and delivering it back again! That's what they intended to do to me a few years back so it probably hasn't changed. Now, ask yourself, in these times when all businesses are desperate for every bit of extra trade they can get, is this approach by KCC doing any good for the Tonbridge economy? The Courier are on to this matter I understand and will be publishing a piece for and against A Boards this Friday. Not exactly riveting stuff, you might think, but nevertheless an important topic for the town's retailers....
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7 comments:
I would have thought the council should only really do something to move an A board if they get complaints about access from the public.
The Wharf's A board is pretty irritating but I don't think I would have had it removed. Then again I am not a wheelchair user or a mother with a pushchair, I am simply a youngish man who doesn't want to get held up any more than necessary.
The other problem is that the Warf is not in the High Steet but places their A board there. What if many other non High Street businesses started putting A boards in the High Street? KCC has to draw a line and I think A boards should only be allowed outside and within the bondrary of any business. Otherwise places like the Big Bridge could become an eyesore and a danger to those with bad sight etc.
But surely Anon. 12.57 a business set back from the High Street would, in order to draw customers, need to have an A Board there more than one actually on it. If your shopfront is already on the High Street can you really say that you need to have a board outside as well?...
Will The Courier be advertising their piece on A boards, on A boards outside newsagents as usual?
The removal of the Wharf's Big Bridge A board is justified. It was constantly positioned chained to the bridge and directly opposite a safety post. This meant that a double buggy, a disabled person found it difficult to pass through the small gap and pedestrian had to walk through in single file. The board was a hazard. The Wharf also has an A board positioned on the corner of Lyons Crescent and the High Street, and also in Lyons Crescent outside the pub. Two boards within a few metres of each other for the same establishment is excessive and therefore the removal of the Big Bridge board that was causing an obstruction to the general public is totally justified.
The Wharf were rather over exhuberant with their advertising.
Personally I like to see A boards advertising services and shops. How would one now about the little cafe or restaurant that is hidden away, but if it is causing an obstruction or danger to pedestrians it should not be there. Well done KCC for once I am on your side.
While I sympathise with traders trying to maximise their business perhaps A-Boarders need to give a bit more thought to their customers who have to walk the pavement to get to their door !!!
KCC have thoughtfully devised a list of "Requirements for placing A-Boards on the Highway" and it would be more acceptable if traders could read and accept these requirements.
Any non high street business that wants to advertise in the high street can always use one of the paid for ad sites or walk up and down with a sandwich board.
High street businesses pay plenty to be in the high street and should not have the high street cluttered up by outsiders.
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