Inflatable Billboards - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS)

I've just looked at the Posterplus website and seen the inflatable billboards. I would say that they are not balloons just because they are inflated, but ultimately the Courts would have to decide. In any event however, if deemed consent under Class 15 is being claimed, the advert can only be displayed for a max of 10 days in a calendar year.

If you would like more information on our inflatable billboards and the legalities then we would be delighted to advise and educate you on the process and sections within legislation that covers our operations. As the pioneers of this media format since 2002 and the largest operator in the UK, inflatable billboards are a recognised format across the UK and in fact many local authorities, government agencies and police forces all use our inflatables, for excellent examples please look at our gallery www.posterplus.co.uk. This format has been put to the legal test and confirmed at the highest level, we have found over the years that smaller or inexperienced planning or enforcement officers do not fully understand the legislation and devoid of the legal facts, for example and a reply to Claire Hall, where does it say in the Act that Balloons have to float? In addition, the 10 day display period is only applicable to that specific site and not region. In our opinion Inflatable Billboards are more effective and create immediate impact over tired wooden traditional billboards that dominate most locations and many of which haves no permissions or lapsed. For more information on Posterplus or test cases please email info@posterplus.co.uk

Just occasionally, very occasionally, I wish that I still worked for an LPA. The fact that various clients use them does not make them legal. Merseyside police had massive banners hanging from its HQ building and various city councils hang out banners on listed buildings without any consent whatsoever. I remember when these first came in there were test cases including advert appeals. I would suggest a Compass search on the topic as your starter. If the legality has been confirmed "at the highest level" I would love the details of the Supreme Court case that he must be talking about because that is the highest level.

Quite a pedantic approach from the "planning consultant" and quoting banners on listed buildings is irrelevant to the whole subject here, but like most LPA or ex employees trying to keep them on track is a difficult task, hence why they worked in that environment is the first place. Any quality consultant and the country has plenty, we certainly use a few, know the subject & legislation inside out and it would be refreshing if LPA worked efficiently in reducing & enforcing advertising clutter rather than looking for grey areas in planning laws for legal inflatables, but asking for a common sense approach and some joined up thinking is beyond many in LPA's, many of which are not fit for purpose.

I think the giveaway is the title 'inflatable billboards' not inflatable balloons' ? One council when having a spate of movable advert trailers invade the city, used an injunction to prohibit the display within the city boundary, it worked and is still working as both the company and named company directors were part of the injunction, so changing the company name did not work for them as an excuse ! Maybe the same would work, it clearly is not a balloon (when you look at the criteria around balloons and the permitted heights etc ) and this is I suggest quite controllable, given the appropriate notice to remove. I remember years ago the same argument about bunting type adverts not being an advert, that is was simply decoration - that did not work either.

Gavin. Interesting that this topic is under debate on the PAS site at the moment as we had an equally interesting discussion over your inflatable billboards at an Advertisment Control workshop that I was running yesterday! Some felt that they were balloons ... and others that they weren't! You have said that your format has been put to the legal test and confirmed at the highest level ... but you didn't say precisely what it was that was confimed (or who by). Were they determined to be balloons, to which the Advertisement Regs do not apply (subject to the established limitations), or not? I would be really interested in knowing the answer for my next workshop in May. Regards. Mike Hyde

I would be delighted to offer information to relevant & genuine parties and happy to show legal case documents, copies of emails from LPA's confirming and accepting the Balloon Advertising Act and also apologies from LPA's for making mistakes and not fully understanding the legislation, I do not think this is the correct platform to show confidential information along with potentially educating competitors who dont fully understand the mechanics of balloon advertising, 11 years on it is somewhat amazing that different regions and individuals still have completely different views and understanding of the rules, we have actually been challenged 12 times on this over the years and won EVERY case and have now operated tens of thousands of operational days across the UK. For genuine parties please write to our company and I would be happy to offer support & evidence as overall this may help all parties going forward and also convince a small majority of doubters!

Hi Gavin I am very interested to look over the support & evidence you have on this issue. I have tried to contact you via your company email but no response to date.

Even assuming they are balloons which may be the case the regulations only allow the balloons to be an advert relevant to the activities of the site on which they are located i.e. car sales event on a car showroom. As stated they can be on that site for only ten days in a calendar year so once the ten days has been used up they are in breach. If the same company continually breach the rules and set a pattern of behaviour then as stated you could seek an injunction that covers the whole authority or if you have evidence of the company constantly breaching the rules then you could seek a pre-emptive injection, though for some reason these powers are rarely used on consistent breachers by planners. If the adverts are found to be illegal and the breach continues then you can always seek to recover the profits made during the time of the continuing breach