Council cashes in on new billboards across Brighton and Hove

A billboard on the side of a building on the corner of Robert Street and North Road, Brighton A billboard on the side of a building on the corner of Robert Street and North Road, Brighton

New billboards are to be installed across a city to raise funds for their cash-strapped council.

The Green administration of Brighton and Hove City is looking to use space in the city to generate more income from advertising.

It has appointed J C Decaux to find potential new sites and to sell advertising space on existing and new hoardings.

The global outdoor advertising company will be officially appointed at the next meeting of the council’s procurement team after approval from its policy and resources committee last week.

The council earns £200,000 annually through advertising billboards.

It believes that additional income of £250,000 a year can be generated from new sites.

The majority of advertising income comes from events being advertised at the Brighton Centre.

There are currently eight advertising hoardings around the city at Cavendish Street Car Park, the junction of Viaduct Road and Ditchling Road and six in Wellington Street, Portslade.

Subject to planning

A spokeswoman for the council said the public will be consulted as part of the planning process for any potential new sites.

She said: “Any potential visual impact from the installation of new advertising structures in the city will be minimised by carefully evaluating each new site over time.

“In addition, any new installation will be subject, where appropriate, to planning and advertising consent.”

Councillor Jason Kitcat, leader of the council, said: “Part of the contract that is to be awarded is the requirement for the chosen company to identify potential future sites to the council.

“These would be then considered on a case by case basis and would need council approval and advertising consent.”

Gill Mitchell leader of the Labour group at the council said: “While we do not want to see a proliferation of advertising hoardings around the city, we support the committee’s recommendations.

“We are adamant that any new sites identified must come back to the committee for approval.”

The new contract is due to commence in January 2013 and last for ten years.

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Comments(30)

Fight_Back says...
11:14am Thu 6 Dec 12

Seems like a good idea to me - does it mean the Greens have suddenly understood they can't keep try to bash the poor old tax payer into giving them more cash ?

MuammarQaddafi says...
11:26am Thu 6 Dec 12

Isn't this "cash-strapped" Council the same people who keep telling us we have to do more with less resources? Perhaps they should start setting an example.

qm says...
11:43am Thu 6 Dec 12

"It believes that additional income of £250,000 a year can be generated from new sites."

"It has appointed J C Decaux to find potential new sites and to sell advertising space on existing and new hoardings."

Cost of J C Decaux: £250,000

Loss = £50,000

Seems alright to me . . . splutter . . .

qm says...
11:44am Thu 6 Dec 12

Yes I know me mafs is cr*p!

Surely not! says...
11:52am Thu 6 Dec 12

qm wrote:
"It believes that additional income of £250,000 a year can be generated from new sites."

"It has appointed J C Decaux to find potential new sites and to sell advertising space on existing and new hoardings."

Cost of J C Decaux: £250,000

Loss = £50,000

Seems alright to me . . . splutter . . .
I don't understand..where did you get your figures from?

Vigilia says...
11:56am Thu 6 Dec 12

"The council earns £200,000 annually through advertising billboards."

Almost enough to cover the annual deficit on providing the travellers' transit site at Horsdean.

ripmaxman says...
12:18pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Is the cash strapped council trying to justify the ridiculous seafront plinth at a cost of £50k?

I would like to know how much the council is paying Decaux and how much impact this will have on the supposed income from the new bill boards, if any.

We have a party who run NO other councils in the UK and in the view of many they don’t have a clue how to run this one.

Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit says...
12:24pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Good idea. All means of earning extra cash have to be investigated, it's not all about what has to be cut.

Will's blog says...
12:54pm Thu 6 Dec 12

At least Labour and the Greens are working together trying to get something done. Not so the Tories. It's high time those old Patcham ward councillors cleared off and let the younger generation through.

Dealing with idiots says...
1:15pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Hardly a ringing endorsement by Gill Mitchel but thankfully she will soon hava an opportunuity to stake her place in Brighton and Hove history and work with the Conservatives for the benefit of all the peole of B&H. You can help make it happen and sign the Save Our City vote of no confidence in the Green administration e-petition.

http://present.brigh
ton-hove.gov.uk/mgEP
etitionDisplay.aspx?
ID=360&RPID=6033530&
HPID=6033530

sussexram40 says...
1:18pm Thu 6 Dec 12

I think billboards are ugly and will lower the tone of the place.

ruberducker says...
2:50pm Thu 6 Dec 12

why dont the green party advertise on the wreck--former west pier?or scrap it in at the breakers,recycle-it and buy shipping containers,park them up with the travellers.put up the sign at the a23 roundabout at patcham giving direction's for more ponses,out of work,homeless,etc.ho
w about a toll to use the cycle lanes,money raise to pay for cyclist to have there bikes sprayed to another colour"so long as its not pink".
it does not matter a jot what the the green's do---there going to %^&*it-up,more ,.."BRIGHTON THE PLACE TO BE"what a lark.

Sussex jim says...
4:39pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Give me £250 and I will drive around the town looking for suitable sites for advertising. No need to use J C Decaux.

Orlando Faark says...
6:45pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Suggested bill board slogan:

"The Greens: serving you right"

Idontbelieveit1948 says...
6:52pm Thu 6 Dec 12

sussexram40 wrote:
I think billboards are ugly and will lower the tone of the place.
Difficult, considering what the Greens have already managed to do

sussexram40 says...
7:29pm Thu 6 Dec 12

They could get a very big rent from a billboard stuck on the front of the Royal Pavilion considering the high number of people who come to look at that building.

Cliff Huxtable says...
8:56pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Not understood why the council still insist on keeping their historic number plate on the crappy little eco-car that buzzes around town.

Valuation of CD1 on a plate has got to be tens of thousands?

brightonsaints says...
9:06pm Thu 6 Dec 12

They could raise parking charges again, that may generate a few quid!?

HJarrs says...
9:07pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Dealing with idiots wrote:
Hardly a ringing endorsement by Gill Mitchel but thankfully she will soon hava an opportunuity to stake her place in Brighton and Hove history and work with the Conservatives for the benefit of all the peole of B&H. You can help make it happen and sign the Save Our City vote of no confidence in the Green administration e-petition.

http://present.brigh

ton-hove.gov.uk/mgEP

etitionDisplay.aspx?

ID=360&RPID=6033
530&
HPID=6033530
So there is you and a prominent local Tory behind this. Many more? Popular movement?

Dealing with idiots says...
10:15pm Thu 6 Dec 12

HJarrs wrote:
Dealing with idiots wrote: Hardly a ringing endorsement by Gill Mitchel but thankfully she will soon hava an opportunuity to stake her place in Brighton and Hove history and work with the Conservatives for the benefit of all the peole of B&H. You can help make it happen and sign the Save Our City vote of no confidence in the Green administration e-petition. http://present.brigh ton-hove.gov.uk/mgEP etitionDisplay.aspx? ID=360&RPID=6033 530& HPID=6033530
So there is you and a prominent local Tory behind this. Many more? Popular movement?
Come on Jars you know you want to.
http://present.brigh
ton-hove.gov.uk/mgEP
etitionDisplay.aspx?
ID=360&RPID=6033530&
HPID=6033530

qm says...
11:31pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Orlando Faark wrote:
Suggested bill board slogan:

"The Greens: serving you right"
Ouchee!

Vigilia says...
11:50pm Thu 6 Dec 12

It would seem that the petition to oust the Green Party has about as much democratic involvement as the election to bring them to power locally.

143 people out of the quarter of a million who live under their administration have bothered to sign it.

They clearly have an overwhelming endorsement.

Maxwell's Ghost says...
7:00am Fri 7 Dec 12

Red, blue and green they are all the same.
A few retired old boys, middle class mums with wealthy partners who fund them to potter about in politics and a few suspects who have their own agendas for choosing to play politics.
It's nice to see the Greens making money. I'm not sure about allowing capitalist companies advertise products though. Will car ads be allowed? Halfords pink bikes? Products with vast air miles? Large carbon footprints?
Perhaps the Greens could ask the hoardings company to sponsor a shelter under each board for the homeless to sleep in.

John Steed says...
8:11am Fri 7 Dec 12

sussexram40 wrote:
I think billboards are ugly and will lower the tone of the place.
correct and they have, now how about some nice neons on top of sussex heights & the RSCH

HJarrs says...
8:57am Fri 7 Dec 12

Dealing with idiots wrote:
HJarrs wrote:
Dealing with idiots wrote: Hardly a ringing endorsement by Gill Mitchel but thankfully she will soon hava an opportunuity to stake her place in Brighton and Hove history and work with the Conservatives for the benefit of all the peole of B&H. You can help make it happen and sign the Save Our City vote of no confidence in the Green administration e-petition. http://present.brigh ton-hove.gov.uk/mgEP etitionDisplay.aspx? ID=360&RPID=6033 530& HPID=6033530
So there is you and a prominent local Tory behind this. Many more? Popular movement?
Come on Jars you know you want to. http://present.brigh ton-hove.gov.uk/mgEP etitionDisplay.aspx? ID=360&RPID=6033
530& HPID=6033530
I am looking forward to the debate.

Joshiman says...
9:29am Fri 7 Dec 12

This is to pay a little towards the cost of ever increasing traffic lights.If you have any spare money buy shares in the Company that has the contract to supply the Council with Traffic lights and the new led street lights appearing.Not as bright as the original ones but what an earner for the suppliers.

Fairfax Sakes says...
11:44am Fri 7 Dec 12

Dealing with idiots wrote:
Hardly a ringing endorsement by Gill Mitchel but thankfully she will soon hava an opportunuity to stake her place in Brighton and Hove history and work with the Conservatives for the benefit of all the peole of B&H. You can help make it happen and sign the Save Our City vote of no confidence in the Green administration e-petition.

http://present.brigh

ton-hove.gov.uk/mgEP

etitionDisplay.aspx?

ID=360&RPID=6033
530&
HPID=6033530
Come on mate, good effort and fair play no one likes the Greens but enough is enough. Should be pretty clear you're not gonna get anywhere near enough votes to even raise this at a council meeting . Never mind that, even if it did get though it would be "discussed" then forgotten about pretty quickly-thats called Realpolitik. Furthermore trying to subvert democratic process by popular revolt is a pretty slippery slope...better off leave it to the next election when they will be roundly rejected by the electorate.

funkyyoyo says...
2:13am Sat 8 Dec 12

so if these billboards distract me whilst im driving and i knock a cyclist over,i tale it i can sue the council for £250000? kerching !!!
please remind me how much those 'cycle counters' cost again,you know the ones that dont work and are being removed!! nice one,i wonder if you would of installed them if you had to pat for them!!! muppets the lot of them,prob fiddling the books like the cheating lying thieving snakes called mp's... corrupt b astards the
lot of them

funkyyoyo says...
2:14am Sat 8 Dec 12

so if these billboards distract me whilst im driving and i knock a cyclist over,i tale it i can sue the council for £250000? kerching !!!
please remind me how much those 'cycle counters' cost again,you know the ones that dont work and are being removed!! nice one,i wonder if you would of installed them if you had to pay for them!!! muppets the lot of them,prob fiddling the books like the cheating lying thieving snakes called mp's... corrupt b astards the
lot of them

Dealing with idiots says...
6:46am Sat 8 Dec 12

Fairfax Sakes wrote:
Dealing with idiots wrote: Hardly a ringing endorsement by Gill Mitchel but thankfully she will soon hava an opportunuity to stake her place in Brighton and Hove history and work with the Conservatives for the benefit of all the peole of B&H. You can help make it happen and sign the Save Our City vote of no confidence in the Green administration e-petition. http://present.brigh ton-hove.gov.uk/mgEP etitionDisplay.aspx? ID=360&RPID=6033 530& HPID=6033530
Come on mate, good effort and fair play no one likes the Greens but enough is enough. Should be pretty clear you're not gonna get anywhere near enough votes to even raise this at a council meeting . Never mind that, even if it did get though it would be "discussed" then forgotten about pretty quickly-thats called Realpolitik. Furthermore trying to subvert democratic process by popular revolt is a pretty slippery slope...better off leave it to the next election when they will be roundly rejected by the electorate.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Don't worry. you sit in the warm and watch the telly.Leave it up to people like me to sort things out.

click2find

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