Unapproved motorway and roadside advertisements generally consist of hoardings mounted onto the side of large vehicles and placed in fields alongside motorways and trunk roads.
The advertisements adversely affect how an area looks and have a major impact on the special character of the countryside. In a recent poll, 85% of motorist said they did not like motorway advertisements or would like to see them banned. A survey carried out during 2005 revealed that there were nearly 900 hoardings on major routes in rural England.
- Keep Britain Tidy believes that unapproved motorway and roadside advertisements have a negative impact on how rural landscape looks and should not be tolerated. We believe the following policy recommendations will go some way towards solving the problem.
- Unapproved motorway and roadside advertisements should not be tolerated. Keep Britain Tidy would like to see all local planning authorities continue to tackle this problem. Advertisements that do not have the required planning permission should be identified and removed as soon as possible and offenders prosecuted.
- Local authorities must use the available legislation to prevent offenders profiting from this illegal activity. Prosecution of offenders that fail to comply with the law will reinforce the message that motorway advertisements will not be tolerated.
- Keep Britain Tidy calls on the public to play a greater role by reporting any incidents of motorway advertising they see to the relevant local authority.
- Local authorities should continue to work in partnership with other interested bodies to build on the good work already carried out. Sharing best practice will help ensure a consistent approach is taken across the country.
- Keep Britain Tidy calls on land owners to ensure they comply with planning regulations when displaying signs or any other type of advertisements on their land.
- Campaigns to remove advertisements that do not have planning permission and to name and shame those involved should continue until this practice has been eradicated.