A seaside council has successfully applied to the Department of Communities and Local Government to ban For Sale and To Let boards in a prominent part of its area - forever.
Back in 2009 Hastings council successfully urged the DCLG to allow a temporary ban on boards along its seafront after councillors claimed that there had been up to 100 signs on some occasions.
The council's argument was the boards made the town look scruffy and damaged its image; the DCLG backed the authority, banning boards in that area for five years. The only way a board could be erected lawfully was by applying, and winning, planning consent.
But now Hastings has won the department's backing for a permanent ban.
Not that long ago Hastings seafront was a forest of estate agents' boards, indeed some national newspapers still used library photos taken then of a small number of properties almost hidden by these boards, several to each property claims councillor Peter Chowney, who chairs the authority's planning committee.
We have a fantastic, historic, seafront, and these boards were just a blot on this he says.
The original permission only lasted five years, and expired at the end of 2014, so we asked the Secretary of State to renew it, but this time make it in perpetuity, so that it did not have to be renewed every five years. This request was granted, which means we are now free of the forest of estate agents' boards on our seafront forever says Chowney.
He says his authority would only ever grant consent for a board in that area in the most exceptional of circumstances and claims other councils are poised to follow a similar path.
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Comments
I really think this is a positive move, but really is this "breaking news" more important than the fact that the website on the market has set its launch date and programme of events. I read about this on property industry eye. Wasn't sure if you guys had heard on this site. It is quite an important bit of news I think
Totally behind this move. Apart from rural locations I feel boards are outdated and an eye sore. They often falsely advertise listings, stay up way too long, cause damage to properties and are primarily there to promote a brand and not a listing. I would love to see boards vanish all together in London.
Might seem like a bit of a drastic measure, but you can see why 'For Sale' and 'To Let' boards would be a blot in certain areas, such as Hastings' historic seafront. So the move is understandable.