By Email
Development Management
East Herts Council
Wallfields
Pegs Lane
Hertford
SG13 8EQ 7 August 2020
Your ref: 3/20/1221/ADV – Erection of 2 panelled billboards of 3 parts.
I am writing on behalf of the Bishop’s Stortford Civic Federation to object to this application.
Three sites are proposed for the erection of advertising billboards and banners announcing planned housing developments at Bishop’s Stortford South (BSS). The first and most conspicuous is proposed for the part of the site next to the junction between St James’s Way and London Road. As yet that part of the BSS site has been unspoiled by development. Under the masterplan, that part of the site is to be reserved for employment uses and a car show room. It is moreover the junction at which traffic approaches at the highest speeds. Siting advertising hoardings there seems to be inappropriate on aesthetic grounds (at least for now), road safety grounds and because it is unrelated to the proposed development on that part of the site.
The second site is at the junction between St James’s Way and Obrey Way. At present, housing on this part of the BSS site has only outline planning permission and it is also next to the bypass where traffic speeds are high. If permitted at all, any promotional advertising should not be permitted on this site until that part of the development has received full planning permission.
The third site is at the junction between Obrey Way and Whittington Way. Housing on Whittington Way has received full planning permission. However, this is a busy junction and, just to the south of it where the road narrows, there was unfortunately a child fatality as a result of a road accident a few months ago. Given the change in road width and speed limit and the numerous traffic signs on the road, erecting a conspicuous advertisement here seems to be a needless distraction for drivers. Moreover, the site in question does not appear to be within the curtilage of the development, and for that reason too, should not be permitted.
We therefore suggest that this application is refused permission in its entirety. A more suitable site on which to erect such advertising would be near the proposed new roundabout between Whittington Way and the development site, when the roundabout has been completed.
Yours faithfully
John Rhodes
President