Signs of apathy

As much as most of us disagree with planning rules and decisions from time to time, any sensible person can understand the need for Local Government planning.  Without controls on developments and building things would get very ugly, very quickly.

One aspect of local government planning is the control of signage.  Controls on signage are important because without controls, the profit motive quickly prevails and an ugly mess is sure to follow.

For an idea of what I’m talking about, check out a couple of examples of businesses creating visual pollution and spoiling the streetscape in a bid to boost sales. 
 

And the same goes for the sandwich boards in the title-picture of this blog.  Permanently placed, miles from the premises being advertised they sit right outside the Shire offices.  Just inside and walking past them every day are the officers who know these signs are not supposed to be there and who are paid to enforce these rules.

Several years ago, when I was councillor,

I tried to put some measures in place aimed at improving the image and reputation of Bridgetown in order to increase its desirability as a place to live or visit.  As part of my plan to enhance Bridgetown’s “brand”, I managed to convince the Council to update our logo, our slogan and to build entry statements.

I then sought to reduce the amount of ugly, unnecessary and distracting  signage around the town.  I managed to convince Council to carry out an audit of the roadside signs on the entries to Bridgetown, identifying those which were redundant, ugly or illegal. Through this process, we managed to get rid of many signs which were detracting from the first impressions of visitors to our town.

Following this, I moved on to signs within the town’s commercial areas, convincing Council to set up a committee to review its policies and rules on signs. Council at its meeting in January 2009 resolved: “That Council consider a policy governing the location and design of signage of all retail outlets in Bridgetown.”

In April that year, Council resolved that  “The Chief Executive Officer progress preparation of a Signage Policy or Local Law, for all commercial and non-commercial activities, including specific consideration of mobile signs including sandwich board and banner signs.”

It took us nearly two years, but on 31 March 2011 after a long and thorough process, we had developed a new Signs Policy for the Shire and it was ready to be adopted.

Unfortunately, on the night it came before Council, one member of the public -- who happened to be a signwriter by trade – got up and voiced his strong disapproval of the policy. So instead, councillors (not me, obviously) voted “That this Item be referred back to the April meeting of the Standing Committee to provide Councillors the opportunity to consider the new information provided by a member of public during “Comments on Agenda Items by Parties with an Interest”, via a copy of the recording of the Meeting.”

Thus, a single verbal objection from a person with a clear vested interest resulted in the plan to properly control signs in Bridgetown being sent back to the drawing board.  This began a three-year odyssey of dithering and indecision.

A second draft  of the Signage Policy Portable Signs In Thoroughfares Policy was

advertised for public comment in August 2012. Only five submissions were received, three in favour and two against.

Yet, in October that year, Council resolved: “that the CEO should arrange for further signage workshops between Councillors and officers to consider a simplified signage policy.”

This workshop was held in November 2012. Council minutes report; “The consensus of the elected members in attendance was that the two draft policies were too complex and onerous and that simplified policies were needed.”

Then nothing happened until July this year, when, at a Standing Committee meeting,

councillors indicated that signage issues were not significant and that further work on draft signage policies should not be progressed.

The new Signage Policy was finally killed off, five and a half years after its conception, at the August Council meeting when Council resolved to “direct the Chief Executive Officer to cease further work on signage related policy matters.”

So its back to the “anything goes” approach which sees the unique character and beauty of Bridgetown gradually despoiled over time as business-owners put up more and more signs, put out any number of sandwich board signs and hang all sorts of flags and banners. The Shire Council which has allowed two illegal signs to sit outside its offices on the main corner of town for nearly ten years long ago lost the moral authority to do anything about it. Now the Council has demonstrated it simply doesn’t care.