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Barratt Homes Flouts Law Just Months After Fine |
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Barratt Homes continues to break the law despite being fined £17700 by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council for putting up illegal signs which have been photographed today in the Bolton area.
They are joined by house builders across the country who ignore the regulations and laws and use illegal flyposting as a standard marketing technique.
New home builders illegally attach advertising to lampposts and other street furniture without permission throughout the UK flouting the law and defacing the local environment for commercial gain. This is known as 'flyposting' and is more commonly associated with adverts for concerts and dubious home working schemes. It is illegal without permission and perpetrators, as well as those benefiting, can be prosecuted under the following legislation:
- Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005
- Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003
- Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992
In areas where the local authority does not tolerate the housebuilders flyposting it seems that the prize is far greater than the risk of any fine that can be levied. This means that this corporate anti-social behaviour continues unchecked and is completely inexcusable; especially because the housebuilders are in the privileged position of being able to promote their developments using official AA traffic signs (the unmistakeable yellow with black signs) and are allowed to put up directional advertising to stringent rules, which excludes signs on 'highway land' or within 50m of an official traffic sign. Unfortunately, these privileges are widely abused especially in areas undergoing lots of redevelopment, where it is common to see street furniture covered in adverts for new homes which not only looks ugly, but also has an adverse effect upon road safety.
New Build Inspections Managing Director Catriona Bright, whose company carries out independent quality inspections of new homes comments: "It is obvious that many developers have little respect for rules and regulations, especially if they affect sales and profit. We see cases of builders ignoring building regualtions and quality standards all the time."
If any developers are flyposting in your local area and you would like to see it removed you should write to the company in question and also report it to your local council using this link on Directgov's website (Report Flyposting).
Some local council's are more relaxed about it than others and require encouragement to enforce the legislation with respect to the housebuilders.
Notes to Editors:
A. Information about the fines can be found here
B. Advertisements which are normally permitted. Extract from regulations:
Directional Advertisements
Class 11 permits housebuilding firms to put up temporary directional signs, telling potential housebuyers and other visitors how to reach a site where new residential development is taking place. The rules for Class 11 are:
- the sign must be near to, BUT NOT ON, highway land and NOT within 50 metres of an official traffic sign facing in the same direction;
- no sign may be more than two miles from the main entrance to the housebuilding site;
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signs must not exceed 0.15 of a square metre (about 15 inches x 15
inches) in area;
- no sign may exceed 4.6 metres (15 feet) above ground-level, or 3.6 metres (12 feet) in an Area of Special Control of Advertisements;
- any lettering or other information on the sign must not be less than 40 millimetres or more than 250 millimetres high;
- reflective material and illumination must not be used;
- the sign must not look like an official traffic sign;
Catriona Bright
New Build Inspections Ltd
t. 0845 22 66 486
f. 0845 22 66 487
e.
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www.newbuildinspections.com
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