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Green councillors have slammed a decision made in a planning committee that will see a new digital advertising board in Easton, facing the M32.
Green councillor Gus Hoyt, who has been campaigning against the growth of advertising for many years said:
“This is a slippery slope for Bristol, setting a precedent for companies to slap their advertising all over our city, something I have been campaigning against since 2012.”
Green councillor Carla Denyer, who sits on the planning committee and called for the application to be refused said:
“It’s astonishing to me that the committee approved an application for a large, bright LED advertising screen in Easton on the basis that it would not have a significant visual impact on the area. I’m sure the same decision would not have been made in wealthier parts of the city, which are generally deemed “more sensitive areas” in planning speak. The problem with the planning approach is that it generally protects the wealthy, pretty areas of the city more than anywhere else.”
Green councillor for Easton, Anna McMullen said:
“Visual pollution and the encroaching commercialisation of public spaces that are used by children is something I care deeply about. Evidence strongly suggests that young children (who sit in traffic jams on the M32 and will be impacted by these adverts) are unable to differentiate between advertising and educational fact until the age of eight. In order to protect our young people, we should oppose visual pollution where possible.”
Councillor Hoyt continued:
“Progressive cities around the world have put an end to street advertising. Not only does this boost the local economy, providing more meaningful local jobs, but it creates a more natural and beautiful cityscape for us all to enjoy.”
Image: Digital advertising in Piccadilly Circus, London. Creative Commons: Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) (edited) Jimmy Baikovicius