Billboard invasion: do we really need 17 new digital ad boards in Bristol city centre?

We’re alarmed to discover that a whopping SEVENTEEN new digital ads are trying to sneak into Bristol’s City Centre.

17 planning applications for new free-standing wifi units in town, complete with digital advertising screens of course. Outdoor ad company Primesight are involved.

Last September, 15 digital billboard applications for Bristol City Centre were already approved by BCC. These 17 are new applications.

Unbelievably, these uninvited new structures would be stuck permanently in the middle of our pavements and pedestrianised areas, and be visible from 50 yards away.

Locations: Anchor Road/Canons Road Junction, Horsefair/Union Street corner, the Horsefair outside Debenhams, Horsefair/Concorde Street junction, Lower Castle Street, Broadmead, Merchant Street, Newgate Street/Union Street junction, Wine Street, St Stephen Street/Colston Avenue junction, Baldwin Street, Prince Street, Park Street, Queens Road, Park Row/Park Street Avenue junction, Montague Street/Marlborough Street junction, Stokes Croft/Kings Square avenue junction.

Doesn’t look like they could make up their mind. Can we speak of an invasion yet?

We don’t need more advertising in our city centre, we need less. And we certainly don’t need these garish, brightly lit, constantly changing digital displays shamelessly vying for our attention with the sole purpose of selling us more and more rubbish.

YOU can stop this

Each of these 18 digital ads has a planning process to go through. The more objections we submit, the more chance we have of stopping this unwanted street clutter.

Here’s your quick and easy guide to objecting
1. Head over to Bristol City Council’s planning portal, or click on the links below
2. Search for the planning application (all references and links are given below)
3. Click ‘make a comment’ and submit your comment
4. Repeat for each of the 17 cases

Tips for your comments
There are two grounds on which planning applications can be formally rejected on. These are ‘amenity’ (how it would affect the surrounding area) and ‘safety’. So it’s helpful to base your objections to any application on one or both of these grounds.

Possible comments you could make:

• These panels would obstruct pedestrians, particularly blind people.
• The application claims them to be bright enough to be read at 50 yards, and the images are ever-changing – a dangerous distraction to motorists and cyclists.
• You may also, of course, want to add any other arguments – perhaps wider concerns you have about corporate outdoor advertising.
• You can also see this quick guide to objecting to planning applications

Links

Here are the references and links to all 17 planning applications:

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – Anchor Road (Os No. 1 Canons Road) Bristol BS1 5TX

Ref. No: 18/01280/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – Inlink Corner Of The Horsefair And Union Street Bristol BS1 3BB

Ref. No: 18/01282/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – InLink Outside Debenhams The Horsefair Bristol BS1 3EE

Ref. No: 18/01284/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – Horsefair (Os No.101-105 Mcdonalds Jct Concorde Street) Bristol BS1 3JR

Ref. No: 18/01287/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – Lower Castle Street (Os Broadmead Car Park Jct) Bristol BS1 3AF

Ref. No: 18/01289/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – Broadmead (Os No.5 O2) Bristol BS1 3HH

Ref. No: 18/01291/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – Inlink Outside The Gym At Quakers Friar Merchant Street Bristol BS1 3BU

Ref. No: 18/01293/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – Union Street (Os No.15-29 Fitness 4 Less Jct Newgate Street) Bristol BS1 2DF

Ref. No: 18/01298/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – InLink Outside Prudential Building Wine Street Bristol BS1 2PH

Ref. No: 18/01300/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – St Stephens Street (Os No.5 Tuk Tuck Jct Colston Ave) Bristol BS1 1EE

Ref. No: 18/01302/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – InLink Outside 37 Baldwin Street Bristol BS1 1RB

Ref. No: 18/01304/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – Prince Street (Os No. 63 Queens Sq Graze Bar) Bristol BS1 4JZ

Ref. No: 18/01306/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – InLink Outside 65 Park Street City Centre Bristol BS1 5PB

Ref. No: 18/01308/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – InLink Outsude Beacon House Queens Road Clifton Bristol BS8 1SE

Ref. No: 18/01310/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – Park Row (Os University Buildings Jct Park St Ave) Bristol BS1 5LE

Ref. No: 18/01312/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – InLink Outside Tesco Junction Of Montague Street Marlborough Street City Centre Bristol BS1 3LA

Ref. No: 18/01314/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

Erection of freestanding InLink providing ultrafast WiFi and other community services and removal of 2No. BT payphones, with excess space returned to the community. – InLink Outside Happy Tat Junction Of King Aquare Avenue Stokes Croft Bristol BS1 3LA

Ref. No: 18/01316/F | Received date: Mon 12 Mar 2018 | Status: Pending Consideration | Case Type: Planning Application

This post was adapted from the AdBlock Bristol blog.