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Lorry advertisements on M6 verges
Parked lorries used as mobile billboards blight views of the countryside adjoining the M6 Motorway, as well as contravening legislation on advertising.
As the main gateway to the Northwest, the view from M6 motorway is highly significant in setting the environmental standard of the region, and of Cheshire in particular. Over many years the view from the motorway on both sides has been marred by illegal adverts on the sides of lorry trailers standing in fields in the open countryside. Our local CPRE planning volunteers assessed the exact locations of these lorries and at the last count there were 15 of these lorries in Cheshire East and 7 in Cheshire West council areas. The local CPRE planning group feels that these adverts detract greatly from the amenity of the rural scene as viewed from the motorway. Some of them are even illuminated at night time.
Anyone who displays an advertisement in contravention of the Advert Regulations commits an offence. Local planning authorities control the display of advertisements in the interests of amenity and public safety. They have powers to remove any advertisement (and any structure used for its display) which in their view is displayed in contravention of the Regulations.
The control of adverts has been a key part of the planning legislation in this country. The great majority of planning authorities do not allow unauthorised advertising along motorways. In most other areas, there is none or very little of it, which makes the lack of control in Cheshire all the more damaging to the travelling public’s impression of environmental standards in our county.
We wrote to both councils seeking action to remove these lorries. After several weeks, we received a response from both stating that neither of them considers this a priority for enforcement. They do not intend to take action in the foreseeable future. We think the councils ought to make lorry advertising in open countryside a priority, but this will only happen through public pressure. Members are asked to help by emailing a request for action on lorry adverts to your local councillor or the Chair of your council’s Planning Committee, or you can make a complaint or a service request online at:
