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Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning 2003

Application form

This application form can either be completed by hand or electronically (pdf version) on the Planning homepage at www.scotland.gov.uk/planning . Please complete all four questions. The deadline is 12 September 2003. An acknowledgement letter will be sent to the person who has completed this form.

Please provide a name and contact details of the organisation responsible for this work. If partners were involved, identify the lead organisation, and then list the other partners/bodies who had a key role.

Name of key partners (if appropriate)

Please complete the form by providing a brief summary (in no more than the space provided) of the piece of work you have entered. You must also conclude, with a key reason, as to why you think this work merits an Award.

Please tick the key criteria which relate to this entry:

You must describe in your written submission (below) how the criteria which you have ticked relates to your project.

Description of project

An initiative was launched in a bid to contain and direct flyposting around Dundee, especially in the City Centre where the problem was most pronounced. The planning enforcement officer and city centre manager worked together to find appropriate sites where flyposting could occur in a controlled manner. Consultations with local promoters and licensees identified a need for promotion of local acts. The initial idea was to create areas of timber framing (primarily on screening around building sites) where posters could be displayed in a controlled manner. With this knowledge, an arrangement was made with a London based music promotion company to provide the financing for the timber framing and paint in return for 50% of the advertisement space. The initiative was an instant success and many local promoters started using these for advertising their acts. Maintenance of these sites is undertaken by an ex-local promoter in return for privileged use of these areas. (See Photographs 1 & 2)

The next phase was to create information boards around the city centre. The Dundee Partnership, principally the City Centre in collaboration with Scottish Enterprise Tayside, erected 4 black cast iron information boards for the purpose of displaying information concerning local events and acts. (See Photograph 3) Following on from this 6 Parisian style Columns were erected around the cultural quarter and the City Centre for the same purpose. Both of these initiatives have proved extremely successful and are heavily used and supported by local promoters. (See Photographs 4 & 5)

The project is still ongoing with new sites being earmarked for timber framing on a regular basis and more information boards and Parisian columns being proposed. Maintenance is undertaken by a local promoter with continuing monitoring by the City Councils City Management team.

The initial start up of the project and the following initiatives demonstrate excellent partnership working. Not only through inter-departmental co-operation within Dundee City Council but also with outside parties such as Scottish Enterprise Tayside, local promoters and licensees, and elected members.

The continuing support for the project, the maintenance procedures and the constant earmarking of new sites exhibits excellent management techniques by Dundee City Council by keeping a potentially chaotic problem such as flyposting regulated not only under control but turning it into a positive attribute in promoting the City's cultural and recreational activities.

Timescale (over which the project has developed)

The initial project started in 1997 with the first consultations taking place. Soon after this, the first timber framing started appearing around the city. These filled up quickly with posters and have been in constant use since.

Early 1998 saw the construction of the 4 information boards with the 6 Parisian columns following a year later. Between the project's initial start-up and now, sites have been earmarked on a regular basis for the construction of timber framing and this is an ongoing process.

Over the years the positive effects of the project have become more pronounced with the amount of uncontrolled flyposting decreasing and the visual quality of the townscape improving in tandem.

Context (the problem which had to be addressed)

Dundee is now seen as a cultural city with many live acts performing regularly around the city. These acts all require promotion in the form of advertising. Promotion of these acts is usually taken in the form of posters which promoters usually display wherever and whenever they want without planning consent. These posters can have a seriously detrimental effect on the visual amenity of the streetscape in which they are located and this can have the knock on effect of detracting visitors. The problem would be more easily controllable if enforcement of these posters was a practical solution. However, due to the sheer volume of flyposters and the fact they are being put up so frequently, enforcement is not the only means of control. Nor is it necessarily the most effective

A solution had to be sought which eliminated the problem of indiscriminate flyposting, met the needs of local promoters and yet portrayed a proactive and positive approach to the problem

Action taken

The project which was undertaken was a direct response to the flyposting problem. At its worst point, the flyposting around Dundee was so bad that the cleansing department had to be called in to remove the offending posters. The cost for these works were passed on to the Planning Department in the hope that the enforcement team could recoup these costs, however this proved to be less than successful.

The proposed initiative was an attempt to provide a sustainable solution which met the needs of the promoters, protected the built environment and did not over burden the enforcement officer's workload. When the project was initiated it was known early on that the Council could not work alone and the support and co-operation of local promoters and licensees was required to make this project successful.

Once the project was up and running local promoters were keen to support it and this was a key component of its success. This continued support of local promoters and the Council's continuing drive to provide new and innovative ways to facilitate the display of posters will ensure that the project runs into the future with the same high standard of success.

Results achieved

The results achieved by the project are considered to be significant. Within a year, the effects were highly evident with the amount of flyposting being dramatically reduced. Over the years the effect has become more pronounced to the point we are at today where there is hardly any illegal flyposting taking place in the city.

Moreover, the custom made structures from the Council add visual appeal to the city centre and cultural quarter as well as accommodating these posters.

The secondary effects of cleaning up the city centre have had a large impact on shop turnovers. By providing a quality shopping environment, more shoppers are attracted into the city and this in turn boost shop revenues. Dundee is now seen as the retail nexus for the east of Scotland and this must be partially attributed to the excellent control of flyposting.

Conclusion - Why does this piece of work merit an Award?

This project has had many beneficial effects on Dundee, especially in the City Centre. It has aided the regeneration of the City Centre by controlling the visually unsightly menace of flyposting and provided a quality environment which local people can be proud of and which visitors can be impressed by.

The whole project represents an innovative and sustainable solution to a largely uncontrollable problem which balances the needs of all parties involved. It is still successfully ongoing, and looks like doing so in the foreseeable future.

Lastly, the realisation of the project was only possible through partnership working. By bringing together all the interested parties and working towards a common goal the idea became a reality and the evidence is all around us on the streets of Dundee.

Supplementary Text available on request 2 x A4

Date

11th September 2003

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