main content Signs lead housing developers straight to Court

Two well-known housing developers have been prosecuted by the for fixing unauthorised signs to lamp columns for advertising their newly built homes. Last month, Bromley Magistrates' Court ordered Barratt South London to pay fines and costs of £13,000 and Linden Homes South East Ltd a total of £3,300. Under the Council's temporary signs scheme, only genuine directional signs are authorised when they conform to road safety standards.

"We will not accept unscrupulous individuals attaching crude signs to lamp posts to sell washing machine repairs, new housing developments or cheap night clubs. These signs clutter our streets and can be downright dangerous. Misplaced signs distract drivers attention and can cause road safety problems. If companies need to place directional signs on the road, they can come to us - otherwise we will remove the signs we come across and take legal action" said Councillor George Taylor, Executive Councillor for the Environment.

After failing to attend the Court hearing on 22nd December 2004, Barratt South London were found guilty of displaying unauthorised signs. Evidence from the Council's Street Services Enforcement team proved that four signs were fixed to lamp columns in the Westmoreland Road and Masons Hill area, advertising new homes on the old Bromley hospital site. The Court also noted that Barratt South London had seven similar convictions in the past years in the Bromley area alone. Consequently, a substantially higher penalty was imposed.

In Court, Linden Homes South East Ltd pleaded guilty to the illegal signs. The Court heard they had displayed a total of twelve signs in the area around Bromley's Oaklands Road and Freelands Road. The signs advertised their new 'Darwin House' and 'The Corner House' developments.

Any illegal signs or obstructions on the street can be reported to the Council's Street Services Help Desk Team on: 020 8313 4621.

ENDS

Editor's Notes: Barratt South London's previous convictions incurred the following fines and costs:

DATE FINE AND COSTS
15 September 2004 - £7,150
15 September 2004 - £7,150
6 November 2002 - £3,000
14 February 2001 - £2,396
17 January 2001 - £3,000
29 November 2000 - £2,546
15 November 2000 - £1,696

Editors: For further information, please contact Andrew Rogers, Communications Advisor on 020 8461 7670 email: andrew.rogers@bromley.gov.uk  or Peter Turvey, Enforcement and Technical Support Manager on 020 8313 4901 or email: peter.turvey@bromley.gov.uk