'Concern of the Week' – Advertising Placards and Boards

Your 'Concern of the Week' relates to the numbers of advertising placards and boards that have appeared in and around the village and within the heart of the conservation area.

Accepting that signage is temporarily installed to advertise annual village events such as the 'Annual Show' and the 'Tattenhall Beer Festival' and accepting that as a village we support 'Remembrance' with poppies attached to many of our central lampposts during early November, it would appear that the increased incidence of advertising placards and boards is irritating many of you to the point that it has now been raised with our Parish Council.

Specific controls and consents relating to outdoor advertising within our village and the impact on our local environment is for others to decide (Tattenhall Online is apolitical) but it would appear that many of you consider that the installation of an increasing number of advertising placards and boards within the village, on our highways and within our immediate boundaries, is unacceptable.

This member of the Webteam, therefore, went out to undertake a brief investigation of your 'Concern of the Week' ... (click on each image to enlarge).

Within the very heart of the village, two signs advertising the new 'Retirement Apartments' are located almost adjacent to each other and, because of their bright pink colour, might be regarded (by some) to be contrary to the spirit of our Village Design Statement. If directional signage to a new development is acceptable throughout a build, then the centre of our village might well be 'cluttered' for many months to come. One might question, however, why there is a requirement for 2 directional signs to be installed at the T Junction of the High Street, advertising an identical message, but located no more than 12 feet apart i.e. one on the fingerpost sign and one on the adjacent lamppost.

Directional signs to 'The Chestnut Grange' development can also be seen within and around the village but these appear to be instantly recognisable in the style of the official yellow and black AA signs. These signs, however, are more discrete, fewer in number and appear in high concentration only at the entrance to that development.

'New builds' aside, other placards and boards have also appeared.

An example of this is at 'Rose Corner' where yellow 'Wasp Nest Removal' advertising signs are now prominent both at the edge of the road and on the traffic island. The traffic island itself now houses 5 advertising and/or directional signs, other than the 'Give Way' instruction which might be regarded to be more important than the others combined.

Similarly on Burwardsley Road, placards and boards have been crudely hammered into established trees advertising 'Buttercup Stables: Riding and Trekking' and 'Cheshire Fishing'.

Ironically, the latter is within just feet of an established brown tourist sign advertising directions to 'Cheshire Fishing'. In fact, whilst driving around the village, this member of the Webteam counted at least 4 other brown tourist signs also directing traffic to 'Cheshire Fishing'.

Doubtless you have other examples since this issue has been raised at the September meeting of our Parish Council – send us your thoughts and photos.

Our thanks to a 'Tattysnapper' who assisted with the photographs.

(we emphasise that Tattenhall Online is apolitical and that this 'Concern of the Week' reflects local views)