Illegal placarding crack down sees 35 firms pursued by council
A recent crackdown on illegal placards has seen Birmingham City Council send warning letters to 35 businesses advertising without permission on the city’s street furniture such as lampposts.
The blitz began in early July and is part of the ongoing engagement campaign to help deliver cleaner, greener, streets in Birmingham.
Now Trading Standards officers have collated the details of the offending operators and attempted to engage with them to remind them of the law and advised them to take down any other offending signs. Officers will continue to monitor the city’s streets and if repeat activity is discovered, they will not hesitate to move to the next stage – enforcement action.
Ultimately, the maximum penalties upon conviction are a fine of £2,500 in the case of an individual or £20,000 in the case of an organisation or body such as a business.
Cllr John O’Shea, Cabinet Member for Street Scene and Parks at Birmingham City Council, said: “Placarding is a plague upon our communities here in Birmingham and causes damage to street furniture.
“It is also littering our street scene and is providing those that do it with an unfair advantage over those who pay to advertise their products and services lawfully. We are also concerned that some unscrupulous businesses may use this type of advertising to hide behind an un-registered telephone number.
“When we carry out operations like this, we are willing to give businesses a chance to reform their ways – the trading conditions are tough because of the coronavirus pandemic and we will support business, but once a firm is on our radar acting illegally, there will be no second chance if they are caught disrespecting our environment.”
To report any concerns in relation to placards or flyposting, visit: www.birmingham.gov.uk/flyposting
