MARKETING


MARKETING


Signof the times L


ove them or loathe them, signboards advertising properties for sale or to let are a part of the street furniture on most of our roads. Whether you approve or not,


they are an integral part of the estate agent armoury, bright as tropical birds, clamouring for your attention as you drive by. How many of us, stuck in traffic, have suddenly said, “Ooh I love that house! I wonder how much it is…” and, in some cases, lived to pay the mortgage. Signboards are an industry, there are


dozens of suppliers who will design, print, erect, change, dismantle boards in any colour and shape that you like, so long as they don’t exceed 24in x 32in or 0.5 square metre. They are a low cost item – usually no more than £5 a pop – often considerably less, (although you will be charged extra for the pole and it’s tricky to put one up without a pole). In lettings, particularly, it can be a frantic


process; Monday, up goes the ‘To Let’. Tuesday, up goes the ‘Let Agreed’, Wednesday, up goes the ‘Let By’. Two weeks later it’s still there because the board man’s been busy… The reverse can be true in sales, these days, the board can be up for so long it fades, leans, droops or is trashed, a sad indication of a slow market. The Town and Country Planning


(Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 is the principal statutory instrument that controls the display of advertisements in England. (see panel on The Law) The legislation requires that only one board (two if fixed back-to-back) be erected for each property to let or for sale; something that still seems to cause confusion on blocks of flats.


Signboards, the good, the bad and the distinctly dodgy. Which ones do you like?


Sheila Manchester looks at estate agents’ signboards and the controversy around them.


The anTi-board movemenT But now there are an increasing number of anti-board movements as some councils try to push through local bans on certain areas – usually conservation areas – and this is causing comment and confusion. Those who fought for the bans are ecstatic; Hammersmith and Fulham’s cabinet environment minister, Councillor Nicholas Botterill, said, “This is a victory for every resident who has had to put up with multiple tatty, ugly and large signs that make roads look cluttered and shabby. This ruling will mean streets in the new banned areas will be cleaner and more attractive than ever.” Sadly, the power sounds as if it’s gone to


his head a little as he launches onto a mission; “Unfortunately, a minority of estate agents break the rules and turn streets into an eyesore, but this will now allow us to come down even harder on rogue agents who think they are above the law. They simply cannot put up boards wherever they like, for however long they like and get away with it – we’ll make sure of that.” In Brighton and Hove, another area that


has, according to campaigners, been cluttered far more than is reasonable by a proliferation of boards, LibDem City Councillor Paul Elgood said, “Today, without any fuss the ban of estate agents’ boards in much of the city centre came into force. We campaigned for over ten years for this and finally saw it become a reality after a thinly attended public hearing a few months ago. No other councillor even bothered to turn up, so it was left to a few of us to put the case for change. “Thank you again to those few who


joined us for the fight. “I really am delighted as I think this will


make a huge difference to our urban environment.”


PROPERTYdrum DECEMBER 2010 29


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