Residents blast illuminated billboard plan

AN illuminated advertising billboard along one of Bristol's busiest stretches of road would be dangerous and could affect hundreds of homes, residents in St George and Redfield claim.

Outdoor media company Global has asked Bristol City Council for permission to replace two regular billboards along the A420 in Church Road with one 3m x 6m lit-up sign.

If permission is granted, an illuminated advert would change every 10 seconds and would be targeted at drivers heading in the direction of the city centre.

But the application has proved unpopular with people living near the site, which is between St George Community Centre and Sikh temple Siri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara Bristol.

The billboards sit alongside a further advertising hoarding on land owned by Bristol City Council behind a planted area created by volunteers from community group St George In Bloom.

Dozens of residents have objected to the proposals, asking the council to consider the negative impact. They argue it would be distracting to motorists and could cause accidents. They also fear light pollution, danger to wildlife in St George Park and wasted energy.

“Church Road is a notoriously dangerous road for traffic accidents and I can't imagine having a bright and potentially animated ad screen will help this,” said one objector from Seneca Street.

“This is also a residential area and sits opposite housing. Some of

PLANS to turn a site off Lawrence Hill roundabout into a 15-storey apartment block which would be seen from as far as Totterdown and Trooper's Hill have been thrown out.

Outline proposals were submitted for a car-free apartment complex at the triangular Leisure Island which included 122 flats as well as commercial and retail space. There would be room for 260 cycles but no car parking spaces. The development featured a single 15-storey tower with a six-storey block around the perimeter.

But Bristol City Council has now told the applicant - a Ms L Brice – that the scheme is too large and modern for the area. A report said: “The 15 storey and 6 storey elements of the proposal by virtue of their height, scale, massing, materials and design would result in unacceptable impacts on the character and appearance of this part of the Old Market Conservation Area, including the local and wider townscape and views.”

The scheme would be out of keeping with Holy Trinity Church and would “harm the significance” of the locally listed buildings on the triangle, the report said, while the site's location, in an area with high traffic along two sides, was not ideal for a living complex: “The application fails to demonstrate that the site can achieve an acceptable living environment for future occupiers.”

There were also concerns about broadband provision, drainage and servicing and pedestrian access.

these screens are so bright that light pollution might be seen in many streets around the screen affecting potentially hundreds of residents. “Bristol has recently declared an ecological crisis so it seems like an absurd waste of energy to install and run digital ad screens.”

The resident added: “I also worry about the potential impact to wildlife, especially considering the site of the sign sits between two of the areas few green spaces (St George Park and Avonview Cemetery). ” In a supporting letter to the council, Global's agents Turnkey said advertisements would not contain any movement, animation or special effects. “Global records indicate the site has been in advertising use for at least ten years and so it is a longstanding and established part of the built environment. The illuminated digital display would face towards on-coming traffic travelling along the A420, Church Road. The highway is well-lit and level, providing excellent forward visibility on approach to the site, allowing drivers to glance at any advert far in advance without being distracted from the road ahead. “Under these circumstances such a familiar urban feature would not constitute a potentially hazardous distraction to anyone exercising a reasonable standard of care. Consequently, it is considered that the proposed advertisement would not unduly distract highways users and give rise to safety issues.”

Grenville Johnson, chair and founder of St George in Bloom, said: “Several years ago volunteers worked extremely hard to enhance this site with a pollinator friendly planting scheme. An electronic sign will potentially be a huge visual distraction at this site for drivers of vehicles and, if the planning application is approved, the installation works will possibly disrupt the plants and other features at this site that have now become very well established.”

Anyone wishing to comment on the plans can do so on the council website, by searching for reference 20/00597/A.

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