Traders are fuming over plans to ban “dangerous” advertising boards from outside town centre shops.This is, of course, the Colchester we know so well as being so friendly to business…
Campaigners for the disabled and visually impaired have backed the plans by Colchester Council, claiming the boards pose a real health risk.
Ron Levy, secretary of Colchester Retail and Business Association, said traders feared the plans would hit their livelihoods.Yes, indeed. And so many councils seem to think their main purpose is stopping all risks, everywhere.
He said: “In its report, the council has pledged to help businesses in the town.
“But by fully removing every single A-board, some of the traders feel it would not be helpful to their business at all.
“I agree there are probably risks – but life is full of risks.”
But aren’t you being too harsh, Julia? These advertising boards do indeed make life difficult for the visually impaired, after all.
Well, yes, they do. But as these commenters point out, they aren’t the only ones:
Goonerboy, Colchester says...Indeed, the Silent Menace….
They are less of a danger than mobility scooters charging around the pavement
Gideon Smythe, Wivenhoe says...And then, of course, there are council-run schemes that are far more dangerous for the visually-handicapped than any advertising board…
What are the council doing about slow fat people and families with lots of children? They get in the way too.
8 comments:
"Campaigners for the disabled and visually impaired have backed the plans by Colchester Council, claiming the boards pose a real health risk."
A health risk? Really?
what sort of health risk? Are the contaminated with thrid hand tobacco smoke? Covered in botulism? A source of legionnaire's disease?
I think I know what has happened. Some dozy tosser from the council wasn't looking where he/she was going and fell over one.
Personally, I would have paid good money to see that
Not Colchester council again.
Their actions ask the question, is there anyone there with a brain or even a couple of brain cells between them, a slug has more sense.
You don't have to be a complete looney to serve on Colchester Council .. but its a distinct advantage ..
I can tell you exactly what will happen next cos it happened here last year:
The council will decide that the shops must apply for a 'Street Use' licence.
This will entail an application form.
Then the council will send out, in the following order:
2x Council Health And Safety Officers
1x Cultural Diversity Officer
1x Social Awareness Officer
2 x Council Workers to measure the pavement
1 x 'bod' to measure 'Foot Flow'
They, the council, will then issue a licence for the A board for 12 months.
The whole process will of course be absolutely free for the traders....
...not.
So...in order to reduce this real health risk to the visually impaired still further, no doubt the council will be removing all the even more solid and impact-unfriendly street furniture, such as bollards, litter bins, no-waiting sign posts, street lamps, traffic lights, roadside barriers, kerbs, bus shelters, and so forth.
Being the cynic (I prefer "realist") that I am ..
My instinct, where the Government or local Councils are concerned is to follow the money trail & see whose coffers it ends up in ..
"what sort of health risk? Are the contaminated with thrid hand tobacco smoke? Covered in botulism?"
I guess this sounded better than 'trip hazard', which always seems to be to be the name of a US TV series character...
"So...in order to reduce this real health risk to the visually impaired still further, no doubt the council will be removing all the even more solid and impact-unfriendly street furniture, such as bollards, litter bins, no-waiting sign posts, street lamps, traffic lights, roadside barriers, kerbs, bus shelters, and so forth."
Logically, they should. Anyone think that'll happen?
Normally you'd expect people not to put obstacles that cause accidents onto the pavement, but, it appears you have to make a law for everything in this country.
And why stop at putting signs out there, what is wrong with a nice piece of string across the pavement in random places, just to get people to hop or drop over it, Julia?
...and whilst we're at it, we should hold a sit-in, in celebration of the absolute freedom of the pavement in the UK.
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