Continental-style advertising pillars installed in Aberdeen
16/01/07
Nine information pillars are being unveiled in Aberdeen city centre as part of the city council’s anti fly-posting strategy.
The three-metre high pillars will offer legitimate sites for advertising by providing high-quality, high-profile and affordable publicity space for events, activities and services on offer in Aberdeen.
The fist pillar was unveiled today [Tues, Jan 16] on St Nicholas Street. The facilities are also being installed this week on Belmont Street, Justice Mill Lane, Langstane Place, West North Street, Guild Street, Broad Street, Chapel Street and George Street.
The £20,000 initiative, which is funded from the city council’s City Growth Fund, is aimed at all businesses in Aberdeen and especially at promoters and venue owners who want to advertise gigs and other events.
The scheme has already helped Aberdeen City Council achieve a short-listing for a national award – and plaudits from the Scottish Executive.
The city council is in the running to win a Keep Scotland Beautiful 'Innovation in Environmental Quality' award, with the winners due to be announced in February. The strategy has also recognised by the Scottish Executive as a case study in best-practice and will be used in future national planning guidance.
Aberdeen City Council environment and infrastructure committee convener Councillor Ian Yuill said: “These pillars will be a stylish and useful addition to Aberdeen’s streets, which will help us to combat the scourge of unsightly fly-posting. Aberdeen will look smarter because there will be no more need to fly-post – and Aberdonians will be able to visit the pillars to find out the latest about what’s happening in our city.”
Nottinghamshire-based Public Information Pillars Ltd is providing the pillars and will organise maintenance and selling the advertising space through local managing agent Ian Harding, the chairman of Aberdeen Entertainment Licenceholders Association
Mr Harding said: “This has been a long time coming. Now that venues have a dedicated place to put up their posters at a reasonable cost, I sincerely hope this will be the demise of fly-posting. Beware those who continue.”
The pillars, which will be cleaned daily, are produced to high specifications and are glossy, durable, scratchproof and UV-resistant.
PIP Ltd is offering clients a service which includes advert design, printing and display. Customers need only provide a sketch of what they require on the advert, along with any text, logo or artwork.
The city council is keen for activities and events to be promoted to help boost the local economy and contribute to the vibrancy of the city.
But officers and councillors are determined that all advertising should be in legitimate places and not slapped on the sides of buildings and on street signs and street furniture.
The city council has already drawn up a voluntary code of conduct to help stamp out fly-posting, has produced a leaflet detailing proper places where adverts can be placed, and works closely with businesses and other organisations to control the anti-social practice.
Fly-posting is an eyesore which can lead to further environmental degradation in the area where the fly-posters have struck and which lands council tax-payers the cost of the clean-up. Unauthorised advertising can be a hazard to motorists when it is stuck on road signs.
Fly-posting is also a criminal offence. Aberdeen City Council will object to licence renewals if the applicant has been clearly and persistently associated with fly-posting, and can reclaim the costs of clearing away illegal posters and stickers. The council mounts daily patrols to check for violations and always enforces the law.
The pillars project is supported from the City Growth Fund, which is administered by Aberdeen City Council and represents a £22.25 million investment over five years by the Scottish Executive in the future of Aberdeen.
The Fund was created to implement the recommendations of the Building Better Cities review conducted by the Scottish Executive, which identified the economic, social and cultural importance of Scotland’s main cities to national life.
