Fury on the boardwalk

joshua

Well-Known Forumite
Stafford traders' fury as A-boards are moved by council
By Kerry Ashdown | Stafford | News | Published: 8 hours ago

Stafford traders have vowed to keep putting out their A-boards in the town centre – despite being told the displays were causing an obstruction.

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Stafford traders have hit out at the council after their A-boards were removed
Many businesses put out A-boards advertising their services – and those with premises on side streets off the main roads of Stafford town centre have said they are essential to signpost new customers towards their services.

But several traders have reported being visited by two people from Staffordshire County Council’s highways team last week. They added that boards had been moved from Market Square, Greengate Street and Gaolgate Street.

Helen Fisher, cabinet member for highways and transport at Staffordshire County Council, said: “Following concerns from members of the public, our highways team spoke with a small number of local businesses and helped them to reposition their A-boards to locations where they did not obstruct people using the town centre.

“Keeping the town centre both attractive and safe for retailers, shoppers and visitors alike is extremely important.

"Poorly positioned A-boards can make it particularly difficult for people with sight impairments, physical difficulties and those using wheelchairs and pushchairs – and could also obstruct emergency vehicles.”

But Tim Sandy, of The Grove Coffee House in St Mary’s Grove, questioned what was classed as an obstruction, as there had also been market stalls in the same area as the A-boards on the day of the visit.

He said: “They came round right in the middle of lunchtime saying ‘you have to take them off the street’. Half an hour later my A-boards were packed away at the side of Boots.

“They said we could have an A-board but outside the shop, and it must be displayed up against the shopfront. But the people who work in the side streets need people to know they are in the side streets.

“I asked how are the market stalls not an obstruction? When is an obstruction not an obstruction – that is the question.”

Ann Ager from The Bakehouse in Market Street said: “We put our A-board by the lamppost so it’s quite safe out of people’s way. We have had lots of people visiting the town who said they didn’t know we were there – you need to encourage people into the side streets or they miss the independent shops if they are not looking for them.

“We never had an opportunity to say how beneficial the signs were – there wasn’t even a consultation.”

Duncan Sandy from The Soup Kitchen in Church Lane said: “It’s so important to have a sign – like everybody we have to get people off the main street and we get people saying they found us because of our sign. If customers are outside the shop they have already found you.


“In retail 10,000 jobs have been lost this year alone, so to do this now when everyone is struggling is like the council is trying to make things harder. It’s a really terrible time to do it.”

Staffordshire County Council published a policy on the management of “commercial obstructions” in 2007.

The policy stated: “The widespread encroachment of portable advertising boards, retail/trade displays and street cafés onto public highways may be considered by some to be an unsightly nuisance, by the disabled to be a potential danger and by other traders as unfair, non-rated enlargements of a competitor’s business. They also constitute an obstruction of the highway which prevent its legitimate use, and are therefore illegal within the terms of the Highways Act 1980.

“Whilst all of these factors are acknowledged by Staffordshire County Council (SCC), it is also accepted that their controlled use can reduce their negative influence on the street scene, promote safer access for all highway users and disabled groups, assist in promoting tourism and maintaining the vitality of town centres and, by a combination of all of these factors, enhance the economic sustainability of both town, suburban and rural businesses and communities.”
 

Raven

Well-Known Forumite
{“Whilst all of these factors are acknowledged by Staffordshire County Council (SCC), it is also accepted that their controlled use can reduce their negative influence on the street scene, promote safer access for all highway users and disabled groups, assist in promoting tourism and maintaining the vitality of town centres and, by a combination of all of these factors, enhance the economic sustainability of both town, suburban and rural businesses and communities.”}



Right, clear as mud then !
Who writes this twaddle ?
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I don't pay much attention to them, but I have noticed the rather excessive concentration that can occur at the Mill Street corner - almost constituting a barricade at times.

Like this.

I did start a cursory totting up of just how many there are in the 'town centre' and was rather surprised at the number, but I never did complete a systematic survey in the end.
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
Heaven forbid traders would want to attract more business.

Council have no idea of the value of money because they only spend other people's.

Profit?

WGAF, not the council, that's for sure.
 

ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
Yeah soz I'm going to risk your anti-jobsworth wrath and say that more than once I've nearly tripped over thr farking things (sober and able bodied) because there are some locations where they take up far too much space. They're definitely a hazard for people less able bodied or with limited vision and if the council are taking action someone has clearly complained along those lines.
 

GNM67

Well-Known Forumite
i had to move one on the mill street corner before now to make enough space to get through.
 

PeterD

ST16 Represent.
Am I missing something here, is this faux outrage, its street furniture for gods sake, the high street is quite wide, just walk around it. Being inconvenienced by half a second or a business potentially going to the wall, have we become so triggered? Who the feck contacts the council to complain about this????
 

BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
I don't pay much attention to them, but I have noticed the rather excessive concentration that can occur at the Mill Street corner - almost constituting a barricade at times.

Like this.

I did start a cursory totting up of just how many there are in the 'town centre' and was rather surprised at the number, but I never did complete a systematic survey in the end.

I think we should go back to the good old days when the only problem you had walking up the main street was being squashed flat by passing traffic … :teef:

OutsidePostOffice.jpg
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
Better remove all the trees and benches then.

Tackling the uneven surface by properly repairing the paving stones and screwing down the drain covers might actually be more if a thing to get worked up about on behalf of others.
 

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
Sorting out a few A boards, so that the traders are happy, whilst ensuring that those with mobility/sight issues are not obstructed, is hardly a major problem unless you turn it into one.

If the Council can't sort something as straightforward as this out, they really should be asking themselves if they should find another career.
 

MilleD

Well-Known Forumite
If SCC are going to remove them, they need to get rid of the Wolverhampton College (Uni?) ones in Staffordshire Place too. Just to be fair.

Or is that different because they are renting from the council?

And they have spelling mistakes on, it drives me mad when I walk past them :angry:
 
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