In a masterstroke of urban design, Bristol City Council has finally realised that what Stokes Croft, City Road and the Cheltenham Road need are more adverts. Refusing to bow to pressure from more aesthetically impoverished neighborhoods like Redland and Clifton who have barely a decent hoarding to call their own, the Design and Branding Department is courageously insisting on bringing more square metres of solid commercial imagery to where it’s really wanted.
The plan is simple but audacious – applying to themselves for planning permission, the council want to install new and adapted street lighting, specially designed to show case 2m full colour adverts as flags; one at least every 50 metres. And no tucking them away near roundabouts, the council wants to put them right in your line of sight. Rest assured no plugs for pole dancing, fake ID’s or drug paraphernalia will be allowed, just the good old mainstream consumerist icons and haikus that we all love. Best of all, the council will be planning to charge the advertisers for access to your public space.
But don’t trust us, take a look at the council’s map and website. Have a think about where your view, your walk, your home or your place of work can best be embellished by access to this splendid public good. Let them know by 25th May, this is too good an opportunity to miss.
Do your research.
Search the planning applications for “lamp post” and you will see that similar applications have been made for various other locations, including Clifton.
Also, what’s the problem with the council funding this scheme by charging for use of the advertising space? Would you rather they spent taxpayers money on it rather than having the initiative to raise some capital on their own?
You have chosen to live in an inner city location next to a major commuter route, don’t act surprised that this is a good location for advertising banners.
Fair enough and thank you for the comment. Just because one chooses to live, work, walk through an inner city area does that mean we should accept more visual intrusion and more space given over to advertising?
Let me make a very small amendment and read that statement back to you.
“Just because one chooses to live, work, walk through an inner city area does that mean we should accept more visual intrusion and more space given over to street art?”
Don’t get me wrong, I’d prefer to see some high quality street art to advertising, but not everybody thinks that allowing this art improves the area.
This very blog campaigns for “visual intrusion” that you support, so why so upset when others make similar requests.
In general, street art is better than advertising, but in some cases a well thought out advert is far more thought provoking than some low quailty graffiti.
Yes
“Just because one chooses to live, work, walk through an inner city area does that mean we should accept more visual intrusion and more space given over to advertising?”
Advertising works by getting a message across to as many people as possible. Inner cities tend to be the busy areas with large amounts of traffic, consequently making them good places to use to promote.
So to answer your question: yes.
What’s to stop us making a collection to put some artworks up there ourselves?