Issue - meetings

Purpose of Report

1.    To provide an update on the Regulation 7 Direction on lettings boards in certain areas of the City which removed deemed consent for lettings boards on residential properties.

2.    To decide whether to apply to the Secretary of State for a renewal of the Regulation 7 Direction which expired in April 2024.

Decision

That the recommendation that the City Council apply to the Secretary of State for a renewal of the Regulation 7 Direction to remove deemed consent for the display of lettings boards in the Monks Road area, West End area, Sincil Bank area, Union Road and Waterloo Street, Lincoln be approved.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reasons for the Decision

Approval was given by the Secretary of State on 8 April 2019 to implement a restriction under Regulation 7 of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007. This removed deemed consent for lettings boards usually given under Class 3(A) of the regulations and meant that express advertisement consent would be required for lettings boards in the specific areas covered by the Regulation 7. This restriction required renewal after a period of five years.

The areas covered by the Direction were the Monks Road area, West End area, Sincil Bank area, Union Road and Waterloo Street (Appendix A). These areas were identified, through enforcement complaints from residents and Councillors and by officers of the Council as being the areas where the most lettings boards were being displayed.

Since the implementation of the Direction in 2019, 55 complaints had been made to Planning Enforcement regarding the display of unauthorised lettings boards. Of these 55, 100% of them were removed upon request by the Planning Enforcement Officers once the offender was made aware of the Regulation 7 Direction in place. To date, no further action had been necessary.

Five years had now passed since the implementation of the Regulation 7 Direction and it was necessary to decide whether to begin the process for renewal of the current Direction which would expire on 8 April 2024. Following the success of the current Direction, agreement for a ten-year Direction was now sought.