Countryside campaigners CPRE [1] strongly welcome today’s announcement by Planning Minister Yvette Cooper of a package of new measures to crack down on illegal advertising alongside England’s roads. [2]

CPRE is particularly keen to support the new database of offenders, and to feed information to local councils in the coming months. We ask any member of the public who sees any advertising displays along motorways in the countryside to contact us as soon as they can safely do so. [3]

Paul Miner, CPRE’s Planning Campaigner, said:

‘We’re delighted that the Government has responded to our campaigning since 2005 and brought in these measures. Tatty advertising displays on trailers have no place in England’s countryside – they are ugly and dangerous. We don’t want it, the Government doesn’t want it, motorists don’t want it and many local councils don’t want it. [4]

‘For too long planning enforcement has been neglected. Over 900 billboards came to be plastered over England’s landscape in recent years [5], with the express aim of getting the attention of motorists travelling at high speed. We hope that this will be a salutary reminder to Government and all local councils that planning rules need to be enforced.’

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NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Sir Max Hastings. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen.

2. The Government has announced a package of measures to address illegal advertising displays, ranging from revised regulations and a new leaflet of case studies issued by the Planning Advisory Service to a database of offenders that can be used in bringing prosecutions. Full details are available from www.communities.gov.uk

3. Members of the public who want to report an advertising display on a motorway or mounted on a trailer along a main road can email info@cpre.org.uk or contact our Planning Hotline on 020 7981 2800. Don’t call or email while driving!

4. An opinion poll of 556 drivers conducted for www.motorinsurance.co.uk and published on their website on 30 November 2005 showed that 60% of motorists were in favour of a total ban on motorway advertising, and a further 15% believed that such advertisements should be restricted to licensed locations. At least 72 local planning authorities have either endorsed CPRE’s campaign or taken action as a result of it, for more details see our roadside advertising campaign.

5. Results of survey work carried out by CPRE and the Highways Agency during summer 2005.