L’Aumone resident Tony Guille is concerned that drivers will be distracted by the contractor’s board being erected at the Maison L’Aumone development. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0562283)
A LARGE sign at the Maison Million building site has upset a L’Aumone resident.
Tony Guille, 71, contacted the Guernsey Press after a 6ft-by-12ft sign was put up. Mr Guille lives in Route de Cobo but he is worried that such a big sign might distract drivers and cause an accident.
‘I first saw it going up this morning,’ he said yesterday. ‘I rang the constables, who told me they would look into it and get back to me, which they did within the hour. They told me that the Environment Department said there was nothing unlawful about it. ‘It seems to me there have always been small signs in the past but they are now done by what I call immigrant companies with big ideas.
‘You are going to get traffic coming along and looking at it. Only when somebody’s killed will they do something about it.’
The steel framework was put up yesterday and was fixed to a concrete base. Mr Guille was told that this ‘temporary’ structure would be in place for 18 months.
‘When I was told that nothing could be done, I contacted the Guernsey Press. I just wanted to bring it to public attention. Greenhouses stand for 100 years and they are called temporary. How big is big, how temporary is temporary?’
Brian Earl, who lives directly opposite the sign, said that it would not affect him.
‘It makes no difference to me,’ he said.
‘I think the trees behind it are more of a problem. I think it’s all right, but I’m not too fussed.’
Castel constable Chris Workman said his colleague, Barry Paint, had been contacted about the sign, but he had not seen it himself.
‘They’ve got them at the hospital and anywhere they are doing a large job just to keep the public informed. I don’t see a problem with it as it’s a temporary thing. If it was permanent, we would have something to say about it.’
A spokesman for the Environment Department said that because the sign was a contractor’s, it did not need planning permission.
It can be displayed temporarily as long as it is the only one on the site, is not internally illuminated and is removed upon completion of the work.
In this case, the contractor submitted an application because the sign included an illustration of the development, which is unusual for a contractor’s board. It was, however, approved.
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One Article Comment
It may be necessary for the contractors to put up some kind of sign but the size they have actually installed seems out of all possible proportion to its need.
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but, as a local resident, I don’t feel this does anything to enhance my environment.
Finally there must be an issue about fairness. I seem to recall that supporters of a certain London football club were forced to take down much smaller signs. If the law was able to deal with their signs then why is it powerless in the face of the signs put up by big business?