Dear Trader
Andover A-Board Licensing Pilot 2015/16
You may already be aware that Hampshire County Council is undertaking a pilot scheme in Andover town centre to allow the legitimate placement of A-boards.
This one year pilot will allow up to 70 A-Boards to be used for advertising in the central area of the town and will run until 30 June 2016.
If you would like to use an A-Board within the pilot area you will need to apply for a licence from the County Council and there will be a £50 administration fee for this.
The licence will clearly state where the A-Board can be placed in relation to your business and the board must comply with a standard specification.
Usually Traders would also need to make a separate application to Test Valley
Borough Council (TVBC), as the local Planning Authority, for advertising consent.
However, for the duration of the pilot I am pleased to confirm that a separate application for advertising consent will not be necessary providing your A-board is placed within the defined pilot scheme area and it meets the County Council’s standard specification. This decision was ratified at a TVBC planning meeting on the 4 June 2015.
The County Council is required by law to post a public notice on site for 28 days before an A-Board can be displayed and to enable you to place your A-board as quickly as possible I would welcome applications for licences before Monday 15 June 2015. This will enable the County Council to post one public notice to cover all the received applications, this notice will expire mid-July 2015.
Subject to there being no local objections we will contact you after the public notice has expired to request full payment. Please note that you must not place your A-Board until your payment has been received and you are in possession of the licence, which must be prominently displayed in your shop window.
Applying after 15 June will not stop you from having an A-board but this will require a separate public notice which may add a short delay to your advertising.
The administration fee will stay at £50 throughout the pilot scheme and after 30
June 2016 the licensing scheme will be comprehensively reviewed by the County Council.
You can download the application form, terms and conditions and specification at www.hants.gov.uk/aboardpilot or alternatively, you can contact our Highways Operations Centre on 01962 832186 if you have any questions.
Please note that unauthorised A-boards placed anywhere on the public highway, whether within or outside the consented area, will be subject to routine enforcement and removal in line with the County Councils existing procedures.
Yours sincerely
Tim Lawton
Head of Highways
Head of Highways South and West
Tim Lawton BEng CEng MICE MCIHT
Director of Economy, Transport and Environment