Ad company fined over illegal billboard (From Surrey Comet)

Ad company fined over illegal billboard

7:57am Friday 14th September 2007 in Wandsworth By Helen Husbands

A leading international advertising company has been fined again for erecting large billboards in Wandsworth without consent.

JC Decaux UK, part of Europe's largest outdoor ad firm, was ordered to pay £4,615 after being convicted of offences relating to an illegal ad hoarding just off Garratt Lane.

The illuminated hoarding, which measured 28 square metres, was bolted to the side of a building in Allfarthing Lane.

The company was prosecuted by the council's planning department for breaching the Town and Country Planning Act.

Magistrates fined company chiefs £3,200 and ordered it to pay the council's prosecution costs of £1,415.

In July JC Decaux had to pay what is thought to be a record fine of more than £39,000 after being taken to court by the council for displaying a number of billboards in the borough without permission.

This included one erected on a Grade II listed building. On that occasion the company was convicted of 14 offences.

When the company installed the billboard, dozens of large bolts were used to attach it to the building.

The building was left pockmarked with dozens of large holes when the ad was removed.

Councillor Guy Senior, executive member for planning and transportation, said: "This company appears to pay absolutely no heed to planning laws and goes around erecting gigantic billboards and hoardings without ever bothering to apply for consent.

"These very large billboards weigh several tonnes and late Victorian properties were just not built to support such weights.

"It is also not unknown for these types of large adverts to fall from their fixings and crash to the ground underneath.

"This could obviously have tragic consequences for passing pedestrians or motorists, so it is also worth reminding freeholders that they too could be legally responsible if such a tragedy occurred."

Photos show the offending ad and the damage caused to the building after removal.