Outdoor advertising causes conflict
A businessman, who opted to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, claimed he was denied the right to erect an advertising board on Hardwick Street. Read more
NEWCASTLE – The alleged lack of communication from the Newcastle Municipality regarding the contentious issue of hoarding, makes a resident see red.
Read: Municipality undertakes to clamp down on shameful habit
A businessman, who opted to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, claimed he was denied the right to erect an advertising board on Hardwick Street.
He said he had meticulously followed prescribed procedures to obtain permission, but it was refused. What upset him the most, was the abundance of other boards along the same street.
“I attempted to query this, but I never received a response. How is this fair? I am a businessman and also want to advertise my franchise, but I am refused this privilege, while others do as they please.”
In an attempt to get to the bottom of the story, the Newcastle Advertiser contacted the municipality for comment, but none was forthcoming at the time of going to print.
The Newcastle Municipality previously commented in the December 11, 2013 edition of the Newcastle Advertiser, on a separate issue regarding outdoor advertising, stating people could only erect outdoor advertising if Council had granted permission according to the Outdoor Advertising Policy and relevant by-laws.
The regulations and exceptions are as follows:
Newcastle Municipality Outdoor Advertising Policy and By-laws: Applications for council’s approval for advertising signs and hoardings.
Also read: Municipality cornered by land invasions
1. No person shall display or erect any advertising sign or hoarding or use any structure or device as an advertising sign or hoarding without first having obtained the written approval of the Council or its duly delegated officials.
2. In considering an application submitted in terms of sub-clause 1 above, the Council may, in addition to any other relevant factors, have due regard to the following:
(a) No advertising sign or hoarding or copy should be designed or displayed such that:
(i) It will be detrimental to the environment or to the amenity of the neighbourhood by reason of size, intensity of illumination quality of design or materials or for any other reason;
(ii) It will constitute a danger to any person or property;
(iii) It will display any material, which in the opinion of the Council is indecent, suggestive of indecency, prejudicial to public morals or objectionable;
(iv) It will obliterate any other signs;
(v) It will in the opinion of the Council be unsightly or detrimentally impact upon a sound architectural design.
(b) The size and location of a proposed advertising sign or hoarding and its alignment in relation to any existing advertising sign or hoarding or the same building or erf and its compatibility with the visual character of the area surrounding it.
(c) The number of signs displayed or to be displayed on the erf concerned and its legibility in the circumstances in which it is seen.
(d) The sign, if not appropriate to the type of activity on or zoning of the erf or site to which it pertains should be considered on its merits in terms of the South African Manual for Outdoor Advertising Control (SAMOAC) guidelines
Non-compliance with current municipal by-laws regarding outdoor advertising can be reported to the municipality on 034 328 3300.
